c 


THROUGH    THE    HEART 
OF    PATAGONIA 


or  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


'\^. 


THROUGH  THE  HEART 
OF  PATAGONIA 


BY 


H.    HESKETH    PRICHARD 

F.R.G.S.,  F.Z.S. 

FELLOW    OF    THE    ANTHROPOLOGICAL    INSTITUTE   ;     AUTHOR    OF 

"where    BLACK    RULES    WHITE:    A    JOURNEY 

ACROSS    AND    ABOUT    HAYTI  " 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS   FROM    DRAWINGS    IN    COLOUR 

AND    BLACK   AND  WHITE    BY 

JOHN    GUILLE    MILLAIS,    F.Z.S. 

AND   FROM    PHOTOGRAPHS 


NEW   YORK: 
D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

1902 


c      r 

c         t 


f*fs 


PRINTED    IN    ENGLAND 


T/iis  Edition  is  for  sale  in  the  United 
States  of  America  only,  and  is 
not  to  be  imported  into  countries 
signatory  to  the  Berne  Treaty 


TO 

C.    ARTHUR    PEARSON 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

Introduction xiii 

I.  Patagonia     ..........  i 

II.     Southward  Ho  ! 15 

III.  The  Battle  of  the  Horses a 

IV.  The  Battle  of  the  Horses  {continued)  ....  50 
V.     The  River  Valleys (j? 

VI.  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Tehuelches          .        .  85 

VII.     Tehuelche  Methods  of  Hunting 104 

VIII.     Tne  Kingdom  of  the  Winds 116 

IX.  Round  and  About  Lake  Buenos  Aires  ....  130 

X.  The  Gorge  of  the  Rive-r  de  los  Antiguos          .         .  144 

XI.     Some  Hunting  Camps 156 

XII.     Back  to  Civilisation 167 

XIII.     Journey  to  Lake  Argentino 181 

XI\'.  The  Downstream    Navigation  of  the  River  Leona  .  196 

XV.     A  Hard  Struggle -ii 

.W'l.     Wild  Cattle 224 


VIU 


CONTENTS 


CHAi'TER 

XVII.     On  thi:'    First  Attitude   of  Wild   Animals   towards 
Man 

X\'III.     Thk  Larger  Mammals  of  Patagonia 

XIX.     First  Passing  through   Hellgate 
XX.     Discovery  of  River  Katarina  and  Lake  Pearso 

XXI.     Homeward 

A  Few  Words  about  the  Future  of  Patagonia 

Appendix  A  ......... 

I.  Account  of  the  Discovery.     By  Dr.  Moreno 
II.  Description    and    Comparison    of    the    Specimen.     By 
Dr.  a.  Smith  Woodward,  F.R.S. 

(a)  Description 

(b)  Comparisons  and  General  Conclusions 

III.  Description    of   Additional    Discoveries.      By  Dr.   A 

Smith  Woodward,   F.R.S 

IV.  Description    of    Pangolins,    Armadillos    and    Sloths 

By  H.  Hesketh  Prichard       .... 


Appendix  B 

On  a  New  Form  of  Puma  from  Patagonia.     By  Oldfield 
Thomas,  F.R.S. 

Appendix  C         .         •         .         • 

List    of    Plants.     By  James    Britten,    F.L.S.,   and  A.  B. 
Rendle,  M.A.,  D.Sc. 

Glossary 

Index    


235 
247 

261 

277 
287 
294 

301 

301 

30s 


315 
334 


33& 


341 
343 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


FULL-PAGE   ILLUSTRATIONS 


Tehiielche  Hunting  Scene 


Oidfitt'mg  in  a  Patagonian  Store 

The  first  guanaco  . 

A  daughter  of  the  Toldos 

A   Neii/  Cure  for  the  Measles 

A  Tehuelche  cacique 

A  Tehuelche  matron,  showing  hare-lip 

Children  of  the  Toldos  . 

Tehuelche  matrons 

A  Tehuelche  beauty 

Bolcadores      .... 

Sons  of  the  Pampas 

The  Tehuelche  Toldos    . 

Onas  stalking  guanaco  . 

Store-clad  Indians 

Tehuelche  spying  guanaco 

Best  head  of  Huemul  (Xenelaphus  bisulcus).     Shot  by  th 

Rest-and-be-Thankful  Camp  . 

Huemul  in  summer  coat 

Descending  the  Barranca 

Guanacos  descending  a  hillside 

A  Patagonian  lagoon     . 

The  Italian  engineers'  waggon 

Sierra    Ventana 

The  drinking  place 

Fiord  of  Lake  Argentina,  showing  forest  on  Mt. 

End  of  Southern  Fiord  of  Lake  Argeutino 

The   Wild  Man 

The   World  of  Ice  . 


(/«  Colour)     Frontispiece 

Facing  page 
22 


(In  Colour] 


(In  Colour) 
author 

(In  Colour) 


(Photogravure) 
(In  Colour) 


(Photogravure) 
Avellanada 

( Photogravure) 


26 

80 

86 

90  . 

94 

98 
100 
102 
104 
no 
114 
120 
124 

132 
146 

150 
152 
158 
160 
168 

174 
176 
186 
190 
192 
194 
202 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS— (r^«//>/wfl') 


The  fire  ....... 

A  glade  in  the  Luke  Rica  Fores: 

The  Leader  of  the  Llerd       .... 

As  it  was  in  the  beginning   .... 

Camp  Thieves         ....... 

Pearson's  Puma      .... 

The  North  Fiord 

Our  launcli  aniong  the  ice     .... 

Another  view  of  the  Glacier  de  los  Tempanos 
Eventide         ....... 

The  last  reach        ...... 


( Photogravure) 
[In  Colou?-) 


Facing  page 
220 
226 
230 


2  ^2 


244 
252 
264 
270 
274 
278 
284 


ing  second  division 


TEXT    ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  pampas  (shoicing  first  division 

One  of  our  Gauchos 

Among  the  Andes 

A   Tehuelche  Cacique 

Lakes  and  the  distant  Cordillera   (slio: 

A   Patagonian  Estancia 

Argentine  Gaucho 

Half-breed  Gaucho 

J.  B.  Scrivenor 

T.  R.  D.  Bitrbury 

Welsh  Settlement  of  Trclew 

Humphrey  fones,  fun.  . 

Tlie  start  on  our  long  trek    . 

Mr.  Langley's  Estancia  on  the  road  to 

Frederick  Barckhausen  . 

A  painpa  round-up 

f.  B.  Scrivenor  (geologise)  and  mula 

The  big  Overo,  a  buckjumper 

The  hunter's  return 

Felis  concolor  puma 

Guanaco  hounds  {father  and  mother  of  the  author's  hound 

Ready  to  be  cargoed 

Mrs.  Trelew  .... 


Bahia  Camcrones 


Tom) 


PAGE 

I 

I . 
3- 

7 

8,9 

II 

12 
13 
17 
20 
21 

23 
27 

29 
31 
34 
39 
41 
44 
45 
46 

50 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


XI 


TEXT  ILLUSTR \TlONS—{cofifi/iued) 

Yegua  Rosadu        ...... 

The  Asulejo   ....... 

Cargoing-up  ....... 

The  author's  two  best  horses,  the  Cruzado  and  Alaza 
Settlement  of  Colohuapi  .... 

Our  brand      ....... 

The  Germans  ...... 

River  Senguerr,  where  disaster  overtook  us  . 
The  Old  Zaino      ...... 

The  Guanaco  {an  intimate  of  the  Old  Zaino's) 
The  Alazan  colt  {nearly  killed  on  the  Sem^uerr) 
Wildgoose  Camp    ...  .         . 

Bad  stalking  {califate-bush  on  pampa) 

Wati!   Wati!  [Tehuelche  exclamation  of  surprise) 

Indian  Toldo.         ...... 

Arrowheads  and  knife,  found  near  Colohuapi,  Chubut  {now  in  collec 

tion  of  Mr.  E.  M.  Sprot) 
Beauties  of  Tierra  del  Fuego 
Tehuelches  visit  Gallegos       .... 

On  ahead       ..... 

Horsham  Base  Camp     ..... 

Lake  Buenos  Aires        ..... 

Sehor  Hans  P.   11'"^^,  of  the  Argentine  Boundary  Commission 
Inlet  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires  .... 

The  horses  retrieved       ..... 

Sterile  ground  to  north  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires 

Lake  Buenos  Aires  from  the  Canadon  of  the  River  de  los  Antiguos 

Grassy  camp  ...... 

Young  guanaco      ...... 

First  huemnl  camp         ..... 

The  off-saddle 

Jottes  smokes  tiie  pipe  of  victory    . 

The  Indian  trad    ...... 

River  Olin     ....... 

River  Belgrano      ...... 

The  home  of  the  Indian  who  gave  us  mutton 
La  Gaviota   ....... 

Siuitii  Cruz    ...  ... 


PACE 

53  • 

54  . 

56,  57  • 

59  . 

64  . 

66  . 

69  • 

71  » 

72  . 

73  . 

74  . 

77  • 

78  . 

83- 

85  . 

89  • 

108  . 

i5i  • 

iiS  • 

123' 

126  • 

I.i8' 

131* 

135* 

139- 

145  . 

154  . 

156  • 

l62« 

165- 

1 6b' 

171- 

17-:  • 

174* 

176. 

177- 

178 

b? 


Xll 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


Photographed  'd'ith  sum  11 
sliot  bv  the  author.     Sid 


TEXT    ILLUSTRATIONS— (^^«//;«W) 

Residents  of  Santa  Cruz        ....... 

The  main  street,  Santa  Cruz         ...... 

Ford  on  the  River  Santa  Cruz     ...... 

Estancia  of  Mr.  E.  Cattle  ....... 

The  launch,  xcitli  Mr.  Cattle  and  Bernardo  on  board  . 
Bernardo  Hahansen        .... 

Where  the  squalls  came  from 
Forests  under  the  snoics  ivhere  icild  cattle  b 
Edge  of  forest        ..... 
Guanacos  on  sky-line      .... 

The  Inieniul  doe  ichich  touched  the  author. 

camera  as  she  retired 
Best  head  of  liucinul  (Xenelaphus  bisulcus 
view         ...... 

Head  of  guanaco    ..... 

Guanaco  chico  (captured  icith   lasso) 

Red  mountain  wolf  (Canis  montanus. 

Hellgate  ...... 

Beyond  mails  footsteps  .... 

Glacier  de  las  Tcmpanos 

Glacier  and  glacial  detritus  . 

Canadon  of  the  River  Katarina    . 

River  Katarina      ..... 

Lake  Pearson         ..... 

Punta  Arenas         ..... 

Tlie  author     ...... 

Skin  of  Grypotherium,  outer  view 

Skin  of  Grypotherium,  inner  view 


PAGE 
179   • 
182  . 
184  . 

193  • 
197  . 
207  • 
215  . 
224  . 
233  • 
237   • 

243     • 

249. 

254* 

256  • 

260* 

262* 

265  . 

273- 

275- 

281. 

283. 

285. 

292  • 

293. 

306  • 

307  ■ 


MAPS 

Map  sho'iving  route  of  Expedition  through  Patagonia 
Map  of  the  Eastern  Portion  of  Lake  Buenos  A  ires 
Map  of  Lake  Argentina  and  District  (shon'ing  routes) 


36 

172 

188 


INTRODUCTION 


Patagonia  is  a  country  about  which  Httle  is  known  to  the  world 
in  general,  books  dealing  with  it  being  few  and  far  between,  while 
the  aspect  of  that  quaint  tail  of  South  America  and  its  wild  denizens 
has  practically  never  before  been  pictorially  brought  under  the 
eye  of  the  public.  The  following  pages  have  been  written  with 
the  idea  of  familiarising  my  readers  with  the  conditions  of  life 
in  Patagonia,  and  of  reproducing  as  strongly  as  possible  the 
impressions  we  gathered  during  our  journey  through  regions  most 
interesting  and  varied,  and,  as  regards  a  certain  portion  of  them, 
hitherto  unvisited  and  unexplored. 

The  original  motive  with  which  these  travels  were  undertaken 
lay  in  a  suggestion  that  a  couple  of  years  ago  created  a  con- 
siderable stir  amongst  many  besides  scientific  people,  namely,  that 
the  prehistoric  Mylodon  might  possibly  still  survive  hidden  in  the 
depths  of  the  forests  of  the  Southern  Andes.  In  a  lecture  delivered 
on  June  21,  1900,  before  the  Zoological  Society,  Professor  E.  Ray 
Lancaster,  the  Director  of  the  P)ritish  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  said  :  "  It  is  quite  possible — I  don't  want  to  say  more 
llian  that — that  he  (the  Mylodon)  still  exists  in  some  of  the 
mountainous  regions  of  Patagonia."  Mr.  Pearson,  the  proprietor 
of  the  Daily  Expi'css,  most  generously  financed  the  Expedition 
in  the  interests  of  science,  and  entrusted  me  with  the  task  of 
siftin*'-  all  the  evidence  for  or  asfainst  the  chances  of  survixal 
obtainable  on  the  spot. 

During  the  whole  time   I  spent  in   i'atagonia   I  came  upon   no 
single   scrap   of  evidence  of  any    kind   which    would   support  the 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

idea  of  the  survival  of  the  Mylodon.  I  hoped  to  have  found  the 
Indian  legends  of  some  interest  in  this  connection,  and  I  took  the 
utmost  pains  to  sift  most  thoroughly  all  stories  and  rumours  that 
could  by  any  means  be  supposed  to  refer  to  any  unknown  animal. 
Of  this  part  of  the  subject  I  have  given  a  full  account  elsewhere. 

There  then  remained  to  us  but  one  thing  more  to  do,  and 
that  was  to  examine  as  far  as  we  could — I  will  not  say  the  forests 
oi^  the  Andes,  for  they  are  primeval  forests,  dense  and  heavily 
grown,  and,  moreover,  cover  hundreds  of  square  miles  of  unexplored 
country — but  tlie  nature  of  these  forests,  so  as  to  be  able  to  come 
to  some  conclusion  on  the  point  under  discussion.  This  we  did, 
with  the  result  that  I  personally  became  convinced — and  my 
opinion  was  shared  by  my  companions — that  the  Mylodon  does 
not  survive  in  the  depths  of  the  Andean  forests.  For  there  is  a 
sino-ular  absence  of  animal  life  in  the  forests.  The  deeper  we 
penetrated,  the  less  we  found.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that,  where 
the  laroer  forms  of  animal  life  exist,  a  number  ot  the  lesser 
creatures  are  to  be  found  co-existing  with  them,  the  conditions 
favourino-  the  life  of  the  former  equally  conducing  to  the  welfare 
of  the  latter.  Our  observation  of  the  forests  therefore  led  us  to 
conclude  that  no  animal  such  as  the  Mylodon  is  at  all  likely  to  be 
existino"  among-  them.  This  is  presumptive  evidence,  but  it  is 
stron(>-,  being  based  on  deductions  not  drawn  from  a  single  instance 
but  from  general  experience. 

Still  I  would  not  offer  my  opinion  as  an  ultimate  answer  to 
the  problem.  In  addition  to  the  regions  visited  by  our  Expedition, 
there  are,  as  I  have  said,  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  square  miles 
about,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  Andes,  still  unpenetrated  by  man. 
A  laro-e  portion  of  this  country  is  forested,  and  it  would  be  pre- 
sumptuous to  say  that  in  some  hidden  valley  far  be\ond  the 
present  ken  of  man  some  prehistoric  animal  may  not  still  exist. 
Patagonia  is,  however,  not  only  vast,  but  so  full  of  natural 
difficulties,  that  I  believe  the  exhaustive  penetration  of  its  recesses 
will  be  the  work  not  of  one  man  or  of  one  party  of  men,  but  the 
result  of  the  slow  progress  of  human  advance  into  these  regions. 

I  have  recorded  some  of  my  observations  upon  the  habits  of 
Patao-onian  game,  and  have  written  somewhat  fully  upon  that  most 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

interesting  race,  the  Tehuelche  Indians,  but  I  have  abstained  from 
very  lengthy  appendices,  for  these  would  be  of  purely  scientific 
interest. 

It  is  my  hope  to  be  able  to  return  to  Patagonia  and  to  go 
further  into  the  many  interesting  subjects  to  which  my  attention 
was  drawn.  In  any  book  that  may  result  from  this  second  journey, 
I  look  forward  to  including  lists  of  various  zoological,  palseonto- 
looical,  and  botanical  collections,  all  the  materials  for  which  have 
not  at  the  moment  of  writino-  arrived  in  E no-land. 

I  would  very  cordially  acknowledge  the  unfailing  help  which 
Dr.  F.  P.  Moreno  has  accorded  to  me  in  every  way,  and  would 
specially  thank  him  for  tht^  photographs  and  maps  he  has  allowed 
me  to  use  in  the  following  pages.  My  thanks  are  also  due  to  Dr. 
A.  Smith  Woodward,  P^.R.S.,  for  his  kind  permission  to  reproduce 
his  description  of  the  Mylodon  skin  and  other  remains  discovered 
at  Consuelo  Cove  by  Dr.  Moreno  ;  to  Dr.  Moreno  for  permitting 
me  to  reprint  his  account  of  that  interesting  discovery,  and  to  Mr. 
Oldfield  Thomas,  F.R.S.,  for  allowing  me  to  make  use  of  his 
description  of  Felis  concolor pcarsoni,  the  new  sub-species  of  puma 
which  we  brought  back.  I  further  offer  my  acknowledgments  to 
the  Zoological  Society,  in  whose  "  Proceedings  "'  the  two  first- 
mentioned  papers  originally  appeared. 

My  best  thanks  are  also  due  to  the  Royal  Geographical  Society, 
who  lent  us  instruments  and  gave  us  every  aid  in  their  power,  and 
also  to  Dr.  Rendle  and  Mr.  James  Britten,  of  the  Botanical  Depart- 
ment of  the  British  Museum,  for  their  kindness  in  preparing  a 
botanical  appendix. 

I  must  record  my  indebtedness  to  Mr.  John  Guilie  Millais  for 
the  pains  he  took  with  his  illustrations  for  this  book.  Hefore  I 
started,  my  friend,  Mr.  ^lilhiis,  drew  mc  some  sketches  of  huemul, 
cruanaco,  and  other  Patao-onian  animals.  These  I  showed  to  the 
Tehuelches,  and  was  once  taken  aback  by  being  offered  a  com- 
mission to  draw  an  Indian's  dogs.  He  offered  me  a  trained  horse 
as  pa}'ment.  The  praise  of  the  ''man  who  knows"  is,  alter  all, 
the  ofreat  reward  of  art. 

My  thanks  are  also  due  to  Mr.  hklwanl  llawcs,  who  kindly 
overlooked  the  proofs  of  this  book   to  correct  the  spelling  of  the 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

Camp-Spanish.       And   I   would  add  the  name  of  Mr.   Frank   A. 
Juckes,  who  saw  to  the  outfitting  of  a  medicine-chest. 

I  would  not  omit  grateful  mention  of  Senor  Garcia  Merou, 
the  late  Minister  of  Agriculture  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  of  the 
late  Seiior  Rivadavia,  the  then  Minister  of  Marine,  to  Senor 
Josue  Moreno,  to  Messrs.  Krabbe  and  Higgins  ;  also  to  Mr. 
Ernest  Cattle,  Mr.  Theobald,  of  Trelew,  and  to  the  many  kind 
friends  who  live  in  the  Argentine  Republic. 

I  am  indebted  to  my  friend,  Alfred  James  Jenkinson,  Scholar 
of  Hertford  College,  Oxford,  for  his  kindness  in  preparing  photo- 
graphs for  reproduction. 

Most  of  all  I  owe  a  debt  (a  debt  which  runs  yearly  into  com- 
pound interest)  to  my  modier,  who  is  accountable  for  anything 
that  is  worth  while  in  this  book,  and  who  has  collaborated  in  its 
production. 

H.   HESKETH   PRICHARD. 


''^' ^-'^^ /-iMWIliM^M' 


Till.    I'AMl'AS    (^lluWTNc;    FlKsT    IiUTSION') 


V.\  B  R  A/? 


y 


CHAPTER    I    ^'^'VTRsiTY 

PATAGONIA 


-f,i^i. 


Physical  features  of  Patagonia —The  pampas — Climate — Discovery  of 
Patagonia  by  Magellan — Description  of  the  natives — Sir  Francis  Drake — 
Other  travellers — Dr.  Moreno — Coast-towns — Farms — Gauchos — Emptiness 
of  interior — Route  of  expedition. 


P 


ATAGONIA  forms  the  southern 
point  or  end  of  the  South  American 
continent  and  extends,  roughly  speaking, 
from  about  parallel  40''  to  the  Straits  of 
Magellan.  Up  to  very  recent  times  the 
geography  of  this  southern  portion  of  the 
New  World  has  been  in  a  nebulous  con- 
dition. Vast  tracts  of  the  interior  of  Pata- 
gonia are  as  practically  waste  and  empty 
to-day  as  they  were  in  the  long-past  ages. 
It  is  certainly  curious  that  this  land  should 
have  been  left  so  completely  out  of  view 
when  the  great  overspill  of  European 
humanity  looked  overseas  in  search  of  new 
homes  where  they  might  dwell  and  ex- 
pand and  find  ample  means  of  livelihood. 

Perhaps  the  description  of  Patagonia  given  in  the  earlier  j) an  of 

A 


ONE  ui-  oi'k  GALcnos 


2  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

the  last  century  by  Darwin  had  something  to  do  with  this  omission. 
He  spoke  of  it  as  a  land  having-  "  the  curse  of  sterility  "  upon  it.  He 
dwelt  on  its  desolate  appearance,  its  "dreary  landscape,"  and  it 
would  seem  that  his  undervaluing  of  the  country  of  which,  after  all,  he 
had  but  a  short  and  curtailed  experience,  influenced  the  whole  circle 
of  the  nations,  with  the  result  that  only  during  the  last  thirty  years 
or  so  have  the  peoples  who  desire  to  colonise  been  discovering  how 
desirable  and  profitable  is  the  great  neglected  land  of  the  south. 

Patagonia  has  grown  to  its  present  condition  very  rapidly. 
Not  so  long  ago  it  was  almost  entirely  given  up  to  Indians  and 
the  countless  herds  of  guanaco.  Now  there  are  farms  upon  the 
coast,  and  a  few  settlements,  such  as  Gallegos  with  its  3000  in- 
habitants, and  Sandy  Point  or  Punta  Arenas,  still  more  populous 
with  11,000.  Behind  this  narrow  strip  of  sparsely  inhabited 
coast-land  the  immense  extent  of  the  interior  lies  vacant. 

Patagonia  strikes  the  traveller  as  huge,  elemental.  Its  natural 
conformation  is  stamped  with  these  characteristics.  From  the 
River  Negro  on  the  north  it  tapers  gradually  to  the  Straits  of 
Magellan  on  the  south.  Three  great  parallel  divisions,  running 
north  and  south,  of  plain,  lake  and  mountain,  each  strongly 
marked,  make  up  the  face  of  the  country.  From  the  shores  of 
the  Atlantic  the  pampas  rise  in  gently  graduated  terraces  to  the 
range  of  the  Andes,  while  between  them  are  strung  a  mighty 
network  of  lakes  and  lagoons,  some  connected  by  rivers,  others  by 
channels,  many  of  which  shift  and  alter  under  the  influence  of 
climate  and  other  local  causes.  From  the  sea  to  the  Sierra 
Nevada  stretch  the  pampas,  all  tussocky  grass,  thorn,  guanacos 
and  mirages.  On  the  western  rim  of  the  pampas  the  Cordillera 
stand  against  the  sky,  a  tumult  of  mountains  clinibing  upwards, 
their  loftier  eoro-es  choked  with  glaciers,  their  hollows  holding 
great  lakes,  ice-cold,  ice-blue,  and  about  their  bases  and  their 
bastions  thousands  of  square  miles  of  shaggy  forests,  of  which  but 
the  mere  edges  have  yet  been  explored. 

Within  its  300,000  square  miles  of  surface  Patagonia  offers 
the  most  extreme  and  abrupt  contrasts.  Flat  pampa  with  hardly 
a  visible  undulation,  mountains  almost  inaccessible  in  their  steep 
escarpments.      Side  by  side  they   lie,    crossing  many   degrees  of 


PATAGONIA  3 

latitude,  the  contrast  descending  to  the  smallest  particulars,  moun- 
tain against  plain,  forest  as  opposed  to  thorn-scrub,  rain  against 
sun.  The  wind  only  is  common  to  both  more  or  less,  though 
it  is  felt  to  a  far  greater  degree  upon  the  pampa.  The  contrast 
extends  to    the  coasts.      The    eastern    coast    is    a    level    treeless 


I'^Eg'-'i". '"!?*>■ 


J 


-<Bi_- 


-&«^1. 


AMONG  THE   ANDES 


series  of  downs  with  few  bays  to  offer  shelter  to  shipping  ;  the 
western  coast,  on  the  contrary,  is  grooved  and  notched  with  fjords, 
and  the  beetlincr  headlands  loom  dark  with  forests. 

Roughly  speaking,  the  country  to  the  east  of  the  Andes  belongs 
to  Argentina,  that  on  the  west  to  Chili  :  between  them  lies  a  long 
strip  of  disputed  territory.  From  this  great  dividing-line  rivers 
flow  into  both  oceans,  into  the  Atlantic  and  into  the  Pacihc.  (  )n 
the  eastern  side  of  the  range,  where  our  travels  took  us.  the  rivers 
cut  transversely  across  the  continent  to  the  Atknitic.  Such  are  the 
Chubut,  the  Deseado,  the  southern  Chico,  which  joins  with  the  Santa 
Cruz  in  a  wide  estuary  before  reaching  the  ocean,  and  the  Callei^os. 
At  the  mouth  of  each  of  these  a  settlement  has  sprung  up. 


4  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

On  the  western  side  the  mountains  approach  more  closely  to 
the  sea,  some  of  the  o^laciers  on  the  heiofhts  of  the  Andes  actually 
overhanging  the  Pacific.  The  shore  is  there  deeply  indented  with 
winding  and  intricate  fjords,  and  dense  dripping  forests  grow 
rankly  in  the  humid  climate,  for  the  rainfall  on  the  Chilian  side 
of  the  Cordillera  is  extraordinarily  heavy. 

Pataoonia  is  the  home  of  bie:  distances.  The  Boer  used  to 
boast  that  he  could  not  see  the  smoke  of  his  neighbour's  chimney. 
On  the  Atlantic  coastland  of  Patagonia  it  is  often  three,  four  or 
five  days'  ride  to  the  nearest  farm.  The  holdings  are  measured 
not  by  the  acre  or  any  analogous  standard  but  by  the  square  league. 
One  farm  ?lone  in  Tierra  del  Fuego  is  400  square  leagues  in  extent. 
The  distances  are  at  first  appalling.  A  man  accustomed  to  cities 
would  here  feel  forlorn  indeed.  One  stands  face  to  face  with  the 
elemental.  As  you  travel  into  the  interior,  Nature,  with  her  large 
loose  grasp,  enfolds  you.  There  is  no  possibility  of  being  mentally 
propped  up  by  one's  fellow  man.  Empty  leagues  upon  leagues 
surround  you  on  every  side,  "  the  inverted  bowl  we  call  the  sky  " 
above. 

Who,  having  once  seen  them,  can  forget  the  pampas  ? 
Evening,  and  the  sun  sloping  over  the  edge  of  the  plain  like  an 
angry  eye,  an  inky-blue  mirage  half  blotting  it  out,  in  the  middle 
distance  erass  rolling  like  an  ocean  to  the  horizon,  lean  thorn,  and 
a  mighty  roaring  wind. 

Out  there  in  the  heart  of  the  country  you  seem  to  stand 
alone,  with  nothing  nearer  or  more  palpable  than  the  wind,  the 
fierce  mirages  and  the  limitless  distances. 

This  wild  land,  ribbed  and  spined  by  one  of  the  greatest  moun- 
tain chains  in  the  world,  appears  to  have  been  the  last  habitation  of 
the  greater  beasts  of  the  older  ages.  It  is  now  the  last  country 
of  all  to  receive  man,  or  rather  its  due  share  of  human  population. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  this  is  the  nearest  bulk  of  land  to 
the  Antarctic  continent.  It  thrusts  forth  its  vast  mass  far  into 
southern  waters,  and  beyond  lie  a  covey  of  islands,  small  and  large, 
upon  the  outermost  of  which  is  situated  the  famous  Cape  Horn. 

On  the  Antarctic  continent  there  is  no  life  to  speak  of.  In 
Patagonia,    the    nearest   large   land,    the    human    race    has    been, 


PATAGONIA  5 

through  the  centuries,  represented  by  a  few  thousand  nomad 
Indians,  who  in  their  Ion"-  rovinirs  followed  certain  well-known 
trails,  from  which  only  a  very  rare  and  venturesome  individual 
thought  of  deviating.  Far  outside  these  paths  dwelt,  according  to 
the  native  imagination,  dangers  and  terrors  unknown.  You  can 
follow  the  same  trails  to-day.  Picture  to  yourself  a  dozen  or 
twenty  field-paths  running  side  by  side,  obliterated  by  the  fingers 
of  the  spring,  and  invisible  under  your  feet,  but  strangely  growing 
into  distinctness  half  a  mile  ahead,  waving  onward  towards  the 
pampas.     Such  is  the  Indian  trail. 

People  in  England,  one  finds,  are  divided  into  two  groups  as 
to  their  opinions  of  the  Patagonian  climate.  One  group  maintains 
that  the  country  must  be  tropical,  since  it  is  included  in  the  con- 
tinent of  South  America  ;  the  other  that  it  is  an  ice-bound  region, 
for  the  good  reason  that  it  lies  close  to  Tierra  del  Fuego.  Oddly 
enough,  both  are  in  a  degree  justified,  for  the  summers  there  are 
comparatively  hot,  but  the  severity  of  the  winter,  when  snow  lies 
deep  on  the  country,  and  cutting  winds  blow  down  from  the  frozen 
heights  during  those  months  that  bring  to  us  our  long  luiglish 
evenings,  is  undeniable. 

Some  day,  no  doubt,  the  land  will  lose  its  untamed  aspect ;  it 
will  become,  as  others  are,  moulded  by  the  hand  of  man,  and 
expectant  of  him.  But  now  the  great  words  of  one  whose  eyes 
never  rested  on  Andean  loneliness  marvellously  describes  it : 

A  land  where  no  man  comes  nor  hath  come 
Since  the  makinf(  of  the  world. 
But  ever  the  wind  shrills. 

The  discovery  of  Patagonia  dates  from  the  early  part  of  the 
year  1520,  when  that  most  intrepid  of  explorers,  l^erdinand 
Magellan,  forced  his  way  doggedly  down  the  east  coast  in  the 
teeth  of  continuous  storms.  With  his  little  fleet  of  five  vessels 
he  pushed  on  in  the  hope,  which  few  if  any  of  his  companions 
shared,  of  finding  a  strait  joining  the  two  great  oceans,  tin-  Atlantic 
and  the  Pacific.  Upon  what  foundation  he  based  this  belief  cannot 
now  be  certainly  told,  but  the  analogy  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
and  rumours  that  obtained  among  the  geographers  and  seafaring 
captains  of  the  day,  helped,  no  doubt,  to  confirm  his  own  idea  that 


6  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

some  such  outlet  existed.  As  early  as  1428,  a  map  of  the  world, 
described  by  one  Antonio  Galvao  as  "most  rare  and  excellent," 
showed  the  Straits  of  Magellan  under  the  name  of  the  "  Dragon's 
Tail."  This  map,  being  carefully  kept  in  the  treasuries  of  Portugal, 
was,  it  may  fairly  be  presumed,  known  to  Magellan.  Also  there 
were  two  globes,  made  in  Nuremberg  shortly  before  he  sailed, 
in  which  the  channel  between  the  great  seas  was  clearly  indicated. 

For  all  that,  the  existence  of  a  passage  was  far  from  being 
an  established  fact,  but  Magellan  undauntedly  continued  his  voyage 
down  the  Patagonian  coast  in  search  of  it.  He  reached  the 
harbour  now  known  as  San  Julian  on  March  31,  1520,  and  there 
proposed  to  winter. 

Almost  at  once  the  famous  mutiny  against  his  authority  broke 
out,  headed  by  those  who  desired  to  turn  back,  and  who  had 
no  faith  in  the  existence  of  the  strait.  One  of  the  rebel  captains 
was  stabbed  upon  his  own  deck,  a  second  executed  ashore  and 
a  third  marooned.  The  commander  of  the  fourth  ship,  the 
Santiao'o,  was  a  friend  of  Magellan's,  who  stood  by  his  leader 
throughout  the  troubled  time. 

Weeks  passed  by,  the  winter  settled  down  upon  them  with 
o-reat  severity,  and  yet  no  sign  of  native  inhabitants  had  been 
perceived  upon  the  shore.  The  Captain-General  sent  out  an  ex- 
pedition to  go  thirty  leagues  into  the  interior,  but  the  men  returned 
with  a  disheartening  account  of  the  country,  which  they  described 
as  impassable,  barren  of  the  necessities  of  life,  and,  as  far  as  their 
experience  went,  entirely  devoid  of  inhabitants.  But  one  day  not 
lono-  after,  a  native  appeared  upon  the  beach  who  cut  antics 
and  sang  while  he  tossed  sand  upon  his  head.  This  man  was  success- 
fully lured  on  board  of  Magellan's  ship.  He  was  dressed  in  skins, 
with  clumsy  boots  of  the  same  material,  which  last  fact  is  supposed 
by  some  authorities  to  have  led  Magellan  to  call  the  people  the 
Patagaos,  or  big  feet.  Pigafetta,  an  Italian  who  accompanied  the 
exploring  fleet,  wrote  an  account  of  this  Patagonian's  appearance. 
"  So  tall  was  this  man  that  Wf-  came  up  to  the  level  of  his  waist- 
belt.  He  was  well  enough  made,  and  had  a  broad  face,  painted  red, 
with  yellow  circles  round  his  eyes,  and  two  heart-shaped  spots  on 
his  cheeks"      He  further  savs  the  man  was  armed  with  a  bow  and 


PATAGONIA 


7 


>  •-^.\ 


arrows,   the  bow    being   short   and   thick   and    the  arrows   tipped 
with    black   and  white  flint    heads.       In  another    place    Pioafetta 
asserts  that  the  least  of  the  Pata^onians 
was  taller  than  the  tallest  men  in  Castile. 

Magellan  treated  the  man  with  kind- 
ness, and  soon  other  natives  paid  the 
Spaniards  visits.  With  them  they  appear 
to  have  brought  a  couple  of  young;- 
guanacos,  leashed  together  and  led  by  a 
cord.  They  stated  that  they  kept  these 
animals  as  decoys  for  the  wild  herds, 
who  on  approaching  the  tethered  gua- 
nacos fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  hunters 
lying  in  ambush  close  at  hand. 

The  Pata^onians  are  said  to  have 
eaten  rats,  caught  on  the  ship,  whole, 
without  even  removing  the  skins  !  How- 
ever, they  seem  to  have  been  peaceably 
disposed  towards  the  Spaniards,  until 
Magellan,  being  struck  with  their  great 
height,  resolved  to  take  home  some 
specimens  of  the  race  as  curiosities  for 
the  Emperor,  and  consequently  he  en- 
trapped two  of  the  young  men  while  on 
board  his  vessel.  Seeing,  however,  that 
one   of    these    Patayfonians    gfrieved    for 

his  wife,  Magellan  sent  a  party  ashore  with  a  couple  of  the 
natives  to  fetch  the  woman  :  but  on  the  road  one  ot  the  natives 
was  wounded,  the  result  being  that  the  whole  tribe  took  to  flight 
after  a  slight  skirmish  with  the  Spaniards,  one  of  whom  died  almost 
instantly  after  being  struck  by  an  arrow.  From  this  event  ii  would 
seem  that  the  Patagonians  of  that  period  used  poisoned  arrows,  as 
do  the  Onas  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  to-day.  These  people  do  not 
employ  vegetable  poison,  but  leave  their  arrows  in  a  piitrid  carcase 
until  thev  become  infected. 

The  next  navicrator  to  visit  the  shores  of  Patagonia  was  Sir 
Francis  Drake  in  1578.      He  also  commanded  a  small  scjuadron  ol 


A   TEHUELCHKCACIQUE 


i 


■^-^T" 


•^  '•?    •«*''»  !?^^ 


LAKES    AM)    THK    DISTANT    COKDII.L 


five  vessels,  and,  curiously  enough,  had  to  cope  with  a  plot  against 
his  life  when  in  the  same  harbour  of  Port  San  Julian.  The 
story  is  well  known.  Mr.  Thomas  Doughty,  the  chief  mutineer, 
was  given  his  choice  of  death,  or  of  marooning,  or  to  be  taken 
home  for  trial.  He  chose  death,  and  was  accordingly  executed. 
Drake  speaks  of  the  natives  as  being  no  taller  than  some 
Englishmen, 

During  the  next  hundred  years  various  expeditions  touched 
upon  the  coasts,  some  captained  by  Englishmen,  such  as  Nar- 
borough.  Byron,  and  Wallis.  The  two  latter  differ  a  good  deal 
from  each  other  with  regard  to  the  stature  of  the  Patagcinians. 
Byron  mentions  a  chief  7  It.  high,  and  adds  that  few  of  the  others 
were  shorter.     Wallis,  on  the  other  hand,  gives  an  average  of  from 

8 


■-  ?«?■ 


•r^^^^i^^^-^^^^^S^^ 


ll.\(,    SKCUND    iJIVlsIuN) 


5  ft.  lo  in.  to  6  ft.,  the  tallest  man  measured  by  him  bein<4  6  tt.  7  in. 
At  an  earlier  date  than  either  of  these  a  Jesuit  named  Falkner, 
beings  in  Patagonia,  mentions  a  cacique  some  inches  over  7  tt. 

In  17S3  the  traveller  Viedma  penetrated  into  the  interior 
and  discovered  one  link  of  the  lono-  chain  of  lakes  Ivini/  under 
the  Andes,  which  still  bears  his  name.  He  gave  the  people 
an  average  of  6  ft.  of  stature.  Some  fiftv  vears  after  this 
H.M.S.  Beagle,  with  Darwin  on  board,  touched  at  many  points 
of  the  coast,  and  short  trips  inland  were  undertaken.  Darwin's 
journals  i(ive  the  first  detailed  account  of  the  country.  He 
agrees  with  Captain  Fitzroy  in  describing  the  Patagonians  as  the 
tallest  of  all  peoples. 

During  the  years  1869-70,  Captain  George  Chaworth  Musters. 

9 


TO  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

of  the  Royal  Navy,  spent  several  months  with  the  nomad  Indians, 
traversing-  a  great  distance  in  their  company,  and  becoming 
acquainted  with  many  interesting  facts  concerning  their  habits 
and  customs.  Since  the  publication  of  his  book  in  1871  practically 
nothing  exhaustive  has  been  written  about  Southern  Patagonia. 
One  or  two  travellers  have  given  short  accounts  of  visits  there,  but 
the  serious  opening  up  of  the  country  is  due  to  the  initiative  and 
energy  of  Dr.  Francisco  P.  Moreno,  whose  first  excursion  to  Pata- 
gonia was  made  in  1873.  In  the  following  year  he  carried  his 
investigations  as  far  south  as  the  River  Santa  Cruz.  In  1875  he 
crossed  from  Buenos  Aires  to  Lake  Nahuel-Huapi  and  the  Andean 
Cordillera,  between  parallels  39''  30'  and  42°.  In  1876  he  visited 
Chubut,  and  ascended  the  river  Santa  Cruz  to  its  parent  lake,  which 
he  proved  was  not  that  discovered  by  Viedma  in  1782,  but  another 
lying  farther  south.  To  him  is  due  the  earliest  suggestion  of  the 
great  system  of  lakes  which  are  situated  in  the  longitudinal 
depression  that  runs  parallel  with  the  Cordillera. 

Again,  in  1879,  Dr.  Moreno  crossed  the  country  to  the  Cordil- 
lera on  parallel  44''.  Up  to  that  time  surveying  in  those  regions 
was  by  no  means  exempt  from  danger,  on  account  of  the  hostile 
attitude  of  the  tribes.  The  amount  of  valuable  work  done  by  Dr. 
Moreno  did  not  end  with  his  personal  expeditions.  Each  summer 
of  late  years  the  Argentine  and  Chilian  Boundary  Commissions 
have  been  surveying  and  opening  up  the  country.  First  and  last 
Dr.  Moreno  must  always  be  regarded  as  the  great  geographer  of 
Patagonia. 

Among  the  gentlemen  engaged  on  the  boundary  work  I  should 
like  to  mention  the  Norwegian  Herr  Hans  P.  Waag,  who,  on 
behalf  of  the  Argentine  Commission,  penetrated  from  the  Pacific 
coast  up  the  river  De  las  Heras  to  lake  Buenos  Aires,  and  from 
thence  overland  to  Trelew.  It  would  be  difficult  to  overpraise  the 
work  of  this  traveller. 

Others,  who  as  pioneers,  travellers,  scientific  men,  or  surveyors, 
have  taken  a  part   in   the   good   work   of  making  the    interior  of 
Patagonia    known    to    the    world    are    Baron    Nordenskjold,    Mr. 
Hatcher,  and  the  members  of  the  Chilian  and  Argentine  Boundary 
Commissions.       I  think  that  in  any  such  list  as  the  above   mention 


PATAGONIA 


II 


A    rATACOXlAN    ESTAXCI.-t 


should  be  made  of  those  who  first  settle  in  a  district,  and  who 
realise  in  greater  degree  than  even  the  pioneer  explorers  the  diffi- 
culties and  drawbacks  of  a  new  country,   and   undoubtedly  their 
hardihood  is  of  immense  and  enduring  value.       I  would,  therefore, 
include  the  name  of  the  Waldron  familv,  who  have  taken  a  laro-e 
part  in  settling  the 
southern      districts 
of    Patagonia    and 
also  in  the  colonis- 
ing   of   Tierra    del 
Fuego. 

With  this  brief 
reference  to  the 
more  important 
journeys  hitherto 
made  in  Southern 
Patagonia,  it  may 
be  well  to  o;ive  here 
some  description  of 
the  country  as  it  appears  to-day.  There  are  upon  the  eastern 
coasts  some  settlements,  as  I  have  mentioned,  and  also  the  Welsh 
colonies  of  Trelew,  Daw^son,  Gaimon,  besides  these  a  very  small 
and  recent  one  exists  at  Colohaupi,  near  Lake  Musters,  and 
another,  The  i6th  October,  far  away  in  the  Cordillera.  This 
last  is  the  single  settlement  of  any  size  south  of  parallel  40"  in  the 
central  interior. 

A  fringe  of  farms  runs  along  the  coast,  and  at  the  mouths  of 
the  rivers  are  situated  little  frontier  towns,  such  as  San  Julian, 
Santa  Cruz  and  GalleLTOS.  Towards  the  south  and  aloiiij  the 
shores  of  the  Strait  the  fringe  of  farms  has  grown  broader  and 
the  country  is  more  generally  settled,  the  Chilian  t'wn  of  Punta 
Arenas  being  an  important  port.  The  few  vast  straggling  farms 
are  given  up  chiefly  to  sheep-breeding,  the  main  export  being 
wool.  Put  cattle  and  horses  are  also  raised  in  large;  numbers,  for 
the  land  has  proved  very  suitable  for  pasturage.  The  tarm 
buildings  vary,  of  course,  in  many  ways  :  some  are  large  and 
comfortable  homesteads,    others   mere   scjualitl   huts,  but   one  and 


12 


THROUGH  THE   HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


all   are   almost   invariably  roofed  in  with  the  universal  o-alvanised 


iron. 


AKGKNTINE    GAUCHO 


The  Welsh  colonists  have  introduced  a  good  strain  to  the 
oTOwing  population,  and  there  are  constant  wholesome  as  well  as 
vicious   importations.      In  a    country  where    shepherding    of    one 

sort  or  another  is  the  chief 
industry,  it  is  inevitable  that 
some  equivalent  of  the  cow- 
boy of  the  North  must  be 
developed.  The  Gaucho  is 
the  Patagonian  cowboy,  and 
he  is  manly  and  picturesque 
enough  to  be  very  interest- 


ing- 

The  Gauchos  are  pic- 
turesque both  in  their  lives 
and  in  their  appearance  :  a 
pair  of  moleskin  trousers,  long  boots,  and  a  handkerchief  usually 
of  a  red  pattern,  a  slouch  hat  of  black  felt,  and  a  gaudy  poncho 
serve  them  for  apparel.  The  poncho,  which  is  merely  a  rug  with 
a  hole  in  the  middle  for  the  head,  makes  a  comfortable  great-coat 
by  day  and  a  blanket  by  night. 

A  Gaucho  may  be  sprung  from  any  nation  on  earth.  Even  as 
the  shores  of  Patagonia  are  washed  by  the  farthest  tides  of  ocean, 
so  the  same  tides  have  borne  to  people  her  solitude  a  singular 
horde  of  massed  nationalities.  But  it  is  the  man  born  in  the 
country  of  whatever  stock  who  becomes  the  true  Gaucho.  In- 
fancy finds  him  in  the  saddle,  and  he  grows  there.  Other  men  can 
stick  on  a  horse,  but  the  Gaucho  can  ride.  Living  as  they  do, 
they  form  a  class  alone.  On  horseback  they  are  more  than  men ; 
on  foot,  I  am  half  tempted  to  say,  less,  for  they  would  rather 
ride  fifty  miles  than  walk  two.  They  are  farm-hands,  shepherds, 
horse-breakers,  occasionally  good  working  vets,  and  when  they 
prosper  they  buy  waggons  and  go  into  the  carrying  trade  ;  in 
fact,  they  form  the  foundation  of  Patagonian  life. 

The  coast  settlements  are  similar  to  such  places  all  the  world 
over :    storekeepers,   men  who    run   wine-shops,    traders,  and    the 


PATAGONIA 


13 


usual  sort  of  folk  who  form  the  bulk  of  dwellers  on  the  edge  of 
civilisation. 

In  Patagonia  it  is  not  dif(icult  to  leave  civilisation  behind 
you,  for  between  lat.  43° 
and  50°  S.  the  interior, 
save  for  a  very  few  pioneers 
and  small  tribes  of  wan- 
derincr  Tehuelche  Indians, 
is  at  the  present  day  un- 
peopled. When  the  line  of 
the  Cordillera  is  reached, 
you  come  to  a  region  abso- 
lutely houseless,  where  no 
human  inhabitant  is  to  be 
found.  Comparatively  speak- 
ing, but  little  animal  life 
flourishes  under  the  un- 
numbered snow  peaks,  and 
in  the  unmeasured  spaces 
of  virp^in  forest,  which  cov.er 
those  valleys  and  in  many 
places  cloak  the  mountains 
from  base  to  shoulder. 
Hundreds    of  square  miles 

of  forest-land,  gorges,  open  slopes,  and  terraced  hollow  s  lie  lost  in 
the  vast  embrace  of  the  Patagonian  Andes,  on  which  the  eye  of 
man  has  never  yet  fallen. 

Our  travels  took  us  over  a  great  part  of  the  countr\'.  Starling 
in  September  1900,  we  zigzagged  from  Trelew  by  Hahia 
Camerones,  to  Lakes  Colhue  and  Musters  and  alonor  the  Ri\er 
Senguerr  to  Lake  Buenos  Aires.  After  spending  a  time  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  that  lake,  we  followed  the  Indian  tr.iil  for  some 
distance,  then  touching  the  Southern  (^hico  we  reached  Santa 
Cruz  on  the  east  coast  in  January  1901.  Leaving  most  of  the 
expedition  there,  I  returned  with  two  companions  by  the  course  of 
the  River  Santa  Cruz  to  the  Cordillera,  where  I  rcmainetl  for 
some  months,  and   in    Mav  I   once   more  crossed  the  continent  to 


HAI,F-BKEEO   GAUCHO 


14  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Gallegos  to  take  ship  for  Punta  Arenas,  the  only  port  in  Patagonia 
where  a  steamer  calls  regularly.  I  left  Patagonia  in  June  1901. 
I  compute  that  the  whole  distance  covered  by  the  journeyings  of 
the  expedition  cannot  have  fallen  short  of  2000  miles. 

Of  the  zoology  of  Patagonia  little  is  known.  Of  the  fauna  and 
tlora  of  the  Cordillera  of  the  southern  central  part  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  practically  nothing  is  known.  Patagonia  thus 
offers  one  of  the  most  interesting  fields  in  the  world  to  the  traveller 
and  naturalist. 

With  these  preliminary  remarks,  I  will  beg  the  reader  to 
embark  with  me  upon  the  Argentine  National  transport  the 
Priinero  de  Mayo,  bound  from  the  port  of  Buenos  Aires  for  the 
south. 


CHAPTER    II 

SOUTHWARD    HO! 

Leaving  England — Start  —  Priincro  de  Mayo  —  Port  Belgrano — Welsh 
colonists — Story  of  Mafeking — First  sight  of  Patagonia — Guolfo  Nuevo — 
Port  Madryn — Landing — Trelew — A  pocket  Wales — Difficulties  of  early 
colonists — Other  Welsh  settlements — Older  and  younger  generations — Welsh 
youths  and  Argentine  maidens — Language  difficulty  will  arrange  itself — 
A  plague  of  "  lords  " — Lord  Reed — Trouble  of  following  a  lord — Itinerary — 
Travelling  in  Patagonia — Few  men,  many  horses — Pack-horses — Start  for 
Bahia  Camerones — Foxes,  ostriches,  cavy — On  the  pampas — Guanaco — First 
guanaco — Mate — Dogs — Farms — Indians — Landscape — Mirages — Vast  empty 
land — Cahadones — Estancia  Lochiel — Seeking  for  puma — Killing  guanacos — 
Many  pumas  killed  during  winter  months — Gauchos. 

We  arrived  at  Buenos  Aires  early  in  September  1900,  and  on  the 
loth  we  embarked  again  on  board  the  Primero  dc  Mayo,  one  of 
the  transports  of  the  Argentine  Government,  by  which  my  com- 
panions and  myself  had  courteously  been  granted  passages  to 
Patagonia,  The  Prwiei^o  dc  Mayo  is  a  boat  of  650  tons.  We 
carried  an  extraordinary  amount  of  deck  cargo,  for  there  were 
a  good  many  passengers  on  board,  as  these  transports  offered 
the  sole  means  existing  at  that  time*  of  communication  by  sea 
with  Argentine  Patacronia. 

We  started  about  one  o'clock.  Lieutenant  Jurgensen,  the 
cominaiidaiite,  was  good  enough  to  invite  us  to  dine  on  that  night 
with  the  officers  in  the  deck-house.  He  subsequently  extended 
his  invitation  to  cover  the  entire  voyage.  After  dinner  we  went 
out  upon  the  deck.  It  was  starlight,  and  the  Prinicro  dc  J/avo 
was  steaming  down  the  brown  estuary  of  the  Plata. 

First  night  out!  What  a  penance  it  is  I  It  is  "good-bye" 
translated    into    heaviness    of    heart,    and    it    knows    fnr    the  time 

*  Since  writing  the  above  I  learn  that  a  German  line  has  put  steamers  upon  this, 
route. 


t6  through  the  heart  of  PATAGONIA 

no  future  and  no  hope.  You  can  only  look  back  miserably  and 
long  for  lost  companionship  and 

All  dear  scenes  to  which  the  soul 
Turns,  as  the  lodestone  seeks  the  pole. 

It  is  a  time  when  romance  fades  out,  and  nothing  is  left  save  the 
grey  fact  of  recent  partings  and  the  misery  of  unaccustomed 
quarters. 

First  night  out — when  one  renews  acquaintance  with  the 
thin  cold  sheets  and  those  extraordinary  coverlets  whose 
single  habitat  in  the  world  appears  to  be  upon  the  bunks  of 
steamers.  Our  fellow  passengers  also  seemed  very  much  under 
the  same  influence  of  greyness.  They  had  packed  themselves 
round  the  saloon-table,  and  were  keeping  the  stewards  busy  with 
orders. 

There  were  not  only  a  good  many  people,  but  peoples,  on 
board  ;  all  nations  in  ragged  ponchos  with  round  fur  caps  or  those 
pointed  sombreros  that  one  associates  with  pictures  of  elves  in  a 
wood.  As  wild-looking  a  crew  were  gathered  for'ard  as  ever 
sailed  Southward  Ho  !  Germans,  Danes,  Poles,  and  heaven  knows 
what  other  races  besides  ;  each  little  party  formed  laagers  of  their 
possessions  and  resented  intrusion  with  volley-firing  of  oaths. 
There  was  one  laager  in  which  I  found  myself  taking  a  particular 
interest ;  it  was  made  up  of  two  men,  a  woman,  and  her  brood  of 
children.  Their  only  belongings  appeared  to  consist  of  four 
ponchos,  a  matd  pot  and  kettle,  and  a  huge  basket  of  cauliflowers. 
They  crept  in  and  entrenched  themselves  between  the  cauliflowers 
and  the  port  bulwark  in  the  waist  of  the  ship.  From  there  they 
did  not  move,  but  sat  swaying  their  bodies  during  the  entire 
voyage.  Was  Patagonia  an  Eldorado  to  which  those  people  were 
journeying  ?  On  that  dark  night,  as  the  ship  slid  groaning  and 
creaking  over  the  brown  waters,  the  dark  scene,  lit  by  stray  blurs  of 
light,  called  up  a  memory  of  Leighton's  picture,  "The  Sea  shall 
give  up  its  Dead." 

Among  the  passengers  was  the  Governor  of  Santa  Cruz,  Seiior 
Don  Matias  McKinlay  Tapiola,  who  speaks  English  very  well. 
There  were  also  one  or  two  gentlemen  interested  in  sheep-farming 


SOUTHWARD  HO 


17 


in  Patagonia.  Of  these,  Mr.  Greenshields,  whose  estancia  or  farm 
we  visited  later,  owned  the  credit  of  having  broken  new  ground  in 
colonising  a  part  of  the  country  some  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
south  of  the  Welsh  settlement  of  Trelew.  The  earlier  sheep- 
farms  lay  about  Punta  Arenas,  eight  degrees  to  the  southward, 
and  there  the  men  of  the  south 
swore  by  the  south,  and  much 
difference  of  opinion  existed  as 
to  how  sheep  would  flourish  in 
the  more  northerly  region  chosen 
by  Mr.  Greenshields.  But  it 
seemed  that  his  daring  was  likely 
to  be  richly  repaid,  and  that 
many,  when  they  heard  of  his  suc- 
cess, would  follow  his  example. 

At  length  it  was  bedtime, 
and  we  turned  in  with  the  com- 
fortinof  reflection  that  when  we 
woke  "first  night  out"  would  be 
over. 

Next  morning  land  had  sunk 
from  sioht  and  there  was  a  litrht  ^-  ^-  ^crivenor 

ground-swell,  but  the  Priuiei'O  de  Mayo  was  rolling  heavil)-.  a  trick 
that  Government  transports  possess  and  seem  to  regard  in  the  light 
of  a  privilege  all  the  world  over.  The  evenings  and  the  mornings 
followed  each  other  in  grey  but  serene  regularity,  till  on  the  12th 
we  turned  coastwards,  heading  for  Puerto  Belgrano,  and  ran 
between  low,  green,  hummocky  banks  up  a  stretch  of  shallow, 
mud-coloured  water  to  our  anchorage.  It  was  a  reddish  sunset 
with  lightning  playing  continuously  upon  the  horizon,  and  while  we 
were  at  dinner  a  thunderstorm  broke  with  heavy  rain.  That  nic^ht 
we  were  permitted  the  privilege  and  amusement  of  choosing  the 
morrow's  nicmi.  We  chose  a  truly  British  repast  ;  roast  beef,  jam - 
roll  and  plum-pudding  figuring  amongst  the  items.  There  are  no 
employments  too  triihng  to  help  one  to  pass  the  time  on  boartl  a 
ship  doing  service  as  a  coaster.  As  to  the  arrangements  made  for 
our  well-being  on  the  transport,  the  Minister  of  Marine  bad.  I  was 

B 


I  8  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

informed,   kindly  given  most  generous  orders  with  regard  to  our 
treatment. 

In  the  morning  we  disembarked  forty-two  sailors  for  the  four  men- 
of-war  lying  at  anchor  in  the  bay.  Then  we  sailed  away  again  for 
the  south  with  a  warm  sun  upon  the  crowded  planking  and  a  cold 
wind  blowing  aft.  It  was  at  this  time  that  I  altered  my  original 
plans  and  decided  on  landing  at  Puerto  Madryn,  our  next  stopping- 
place,  instead  of  at  Santa  Cruz,  which  lies  some  seven  degrees  of 
latitude  farther  to  the  south.  Upon  hearing  that  winter  had  not 
yet  relaxed  its  grip  on  the  country  south,  it  became  clear  that 
the  horses  down  there  would  be  thin  and  in  poor  condition,  with 
the  spring  sickness  upon  them,  and  therefore  quite  unfitted  to 
start  upon  such  a  journey  as  lay  before  us.  The  new  scheme  also 
promised  a  saving  of  time,  as  the  Primero  de  Mayo,  owing  to  the 
necessity  of  calling  at  various  little  places  on  the  way  down  to 
Santa  Cruz,  would  be  a  good  deal  delayed  ;  besides,  the  horses  we 
required  could  probably  be  got  together  more  quickly  at  Puerto 
Madryn. 

We  had  a  number  of  Welsh  with  us  on  the  transport,  who  were 
on  their  way  home  to  the  Welsh  settlements  of  Trelew,  Gaiman 
and  Rawson.  In  the  evenings  of  the  voyage  it  was  their  custom 
to  forgather  and  sing  psalms  in  Welsh,  psalms  the  sound  of  which 
took  one's  memory  back  to  the  Scottish  hills  and  the  yearly  ante- 
communion  preachings  in  the  open-air.  The  surrounding  greyness 
aided  the  idea — grey  sea,  grey  sky,  grey  weather. 

By  the  way,  on  board  we  learnt  a  fact,  or  so  we  were  assured 
it  was,  about  the  South  African  War,  which  is  certainly  not  well 
known  even  among-  those  who  love  the  Boer.  One  night  at  table, 
one  of  the  diners  solemnly  declared  that  at  Mafeking  the  English 
ate  the  flesh  of  the  Kaffirs  and  were  thereby  enabled  to  hold  out 
for  so  long.  He  was  not  attempting  to  hoax  us,  he  really  believed 
the  fable  himself,  poor  fellow  !  I  did  not  gather  the  gentleman's 
name. 

Coming  on  deck  on  the  morning  of  the  15th,  we  saw,  drawn 
across  the  western  sea-rim,  a  low  brown  line.  Above  it  a  sky  of 
steel-blue  gleamed  coldly  and  below  a  wash  of  grey  sea.  This  was 
our  first  view  of  Patagonia.     All  day  we  crept  along  the  grim. 


SOUTHWARD  HO!  19 

quiet,  solitary-looklni^  cliff,  until  at  last  the  Primero  de  Mayo  was 
swallowed  up  in  the  vast  embrace  of  the  Golfo  Nuevo.  It  was 
between  evening  and  night  when  we  approached  our  harbourage, 
Puerto  Madryn.  The  half-lights  were  playing  above  it,  and  the 
afterglow  of  the  sunset  still  shone  feebly  behind  the  land.  W'e 
saw  only  raw  cliff  capped  by  dark  verdure — the  rim  of  the  vast 
pampas  which  roll  away  in  rising  levels  league  upon  league 
towards  the  Andes. 

The  sea  was  cold,  the  wind  was  cold,  the  land  looked  forlorn 
and  a-cold.  Presently  from  it  a  little  boat  put  out  containing  a 
figure  wrapped  in  a  long  military  cloak.  This  was  the  sub- 
prefect,  who  thus  welcomed  us  to  these  desolate  shores,  for 
Patagonia  from  the  sea  is  a  desolate  prospect  indeed.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  dismal  aspect  presented  by 
Puerto  Madryn  upon  that  evening.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the 
settlement  consists  of  half  a  dozen  houses  arid  a  (lacrstaff  :  the 
first  crouch  on  the  lip  of  the  tide  and  the  second  shivers  above  on 
the  bare  pampa-rim. 

There  seals  and  divers  haunt  the  sea,  a  few  sfuanaco-herds  live 
upon  the  coast-lands,  and  there,  in  inhospitable  fashion,  the  little 
colony  of  human  beings  clings,  as  it  were,  upon  the  skirts  of  great 
primordial  nature.  In  the  evening  lights  the  cliffs  showed  curiously 
pallid  above  a  strip  of  dead  sand  and  shingle,  only  the  sky  and  the 
water  seemed  alive. 

Next  morning  we  hoped  to  get  our  baggage  ashore  and  were 
moving  early  with  that  object  in  view.  But  the  trend  of  public 
opinion  in  Puerto  Madryn  appears  to  be  towards  the  conviction 
that  there  is  no  sort  of  reason  for  hurry  under  any  circumstances. 
Hence  the  cargo  disgorged  itself  slowly,  and  after  interniinal)le 
waiting  we  found  our  particular  share  of  it  would  not  be  reached 
that  night.  It  was,  in  fact,  not  till  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day 
that  we  achieved  a  partial  recovery  of  our  belongings  from  the 
holds  and  took  the  first  consio^nment  of  it  ashore.  The  morninir 
had  broken  clear  and  fine,  but  mid-day  brought  a  change.  And 
by  the  time  we  had  our  boatload  completed  and  rocketed  away 
shorewards  at  the  tail  of  the  Prh7iero  de  Mayds  steam-launch,  a 
beam  sea  was  Hying  in  spray  high  over  us. 


20 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


There  was  an  anxious  moment  when  the  launch  slipped  the 
towing-cable  and  the  sailor  in  the  bows  flung  a  rope,  which 
dropped  short  of  the  black  wooden  jetty,  and  we  were  swept  some 
boat-lengths  away  by  a  big  broken  sea.     To  be  swamped  at  the 

moment  of  landintr  ! — 
the  thought  was  too 
disastrous  to  be  dwelt 
on  ;  half  our  rifles  and  a 
box  of  instruments  were 
on  board.  It  cost  us  a 
long  hour  and  a  half  of 
hard  work  before  every- 
thing" was  safe  ashore. 
And  while  we  toiled  a 
dozen  seals  came  and 
stared  at  us  with  their 
doglike  faces,  and  lazy, 
solemn  eyes. 

When  all  our  pro- 
perty had  been  brought 
to  land,  luckily  without 
mishaps  of  any  kind,  1 
left  Scrivenor  with  our 
peones  to  bring  up  the 
heavy  baggage  and  went 
on  with  Burbury  to  Trelew  by  the  miniature  train  which  plies  to 
and  fro  between  the  Welsh  colony  and  the  coast.  From  Trelew 
a  ten-days  ride  takes  you  beyond  the  farm  of  the  last  settler  and 
into  the  waste  places  of  the  pampas. 

Trelew  is  a  new  and  pocket  Wales,  but  very  much  Wales 
all  the  same.  To  prove  the  accuracy  of  this  statement  it  is  only 
necessary  to  say  that  the  waggon  which  set  us  on  the  first  leagues  of 
our  way  belonged  to  a  Jones,  that  another  Jones  accompanied  the 
expedition  to  the  Cordillera,  that  I  negotiated  with  a  third  Jones 
for  a  supply  of  mutton  to  take  with  us  for  use  on  the  first  part  of 
our  journey,  that  I  was  introduced  to  several  Williamses  and  did 
business  with  various  Hugheses.     And  all  this  in  a  day  and  a  half. 


T.    R.    D.    BURBUKY 


SOUTHWARD  HO! 


21 


WF.I.SH    SETTI.llMKNT   OF   TKKl.KW 


Trelew  itself  is  a  bare  settlement  of  raw-looking  houses  and 
shanties,  which  has  started  up  on  the  emptiness  of  the  pampas.  It 
cannot  lay  any  claim  to  picturesqueness,  and  a  pervading  impres- 
sion of  being  unfinished  adds  a  suggestion  of  discomfort  to 
the  place.  All  round  about  the  mud  houses  the  pampa  rolls 
away  to  the  dis- 
tances, harsh,  stony, 
overgrown  with  little 
humpy  bushes  of 
thorn  and  dotted 
here  and  there  with 
wheat  -  land.  All 
throuo^h  and  over  the 
settlement  vou  are 
never  out  of  hearinor 
of  three  lano-uaQ^es — 
English,  Welsh  and 
Spanish. 

For      thirty-five 

years  the  W^elsh  have  lived  in  this  little  colony  of  their  own 
founding.  Exactly  all  the  reasons  which  led  them  to  forsake  their 
far-off  homes  for  Patagonia  it  would  serve  no  purpose  to  set  out 
in  detail,  but  the  root  of  the  matter  appears  to  have  lain  in 
the  fact  that  they  objected  to  the  laws  relating  to  the  teaching  of 
English  in  the  schools  ;  and,  having  the  courage  of  their  convic- 
tions, they  came  several  thousand  miles  across  the  sea  to  escape 
the  r<fgime  they  disliked.  At  present,  however,  they  seem  to  have 
slipped  from  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire,  for  they  like  still  less  the 
Argentine  code,  by  which  every  man  born  in  the  Republic  is  sub- 
ject to  conscription  and  Sunday  drilling. 

Some  time  ago  the  colonists  of  Trelew  appealed  to  I'.ngland 
to  intercede  for  them  with  the  Argentine  Government  with  a  view 
to  obtainincr  release  from  these  disabilities.  But  as  the  Welsh  had 
of  their  own  free  will  deliberately  placed  themselves  under  the 
Government  of  the  Republic,  it  was  impossible  for  I'-nghnid  to 
interfere,  and  this  fact  was  notified  to  the  suppliants,  much  to 
their  disappointment  and  disgust.      I'.vcn  when    I    was  tluMT  they 


22  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

remained  rather  sore  over  the  matter,  complaining  that  England 
had  taken  all  the  money  subscribed  for  the  expenses  of  the  appeal 
and  given  diem  no  redress  in  return. 

The  difficulties  and  hardships  which  must  inevitably  have  beset 
the  commencement  of  their  settling  in  Patagonia,  contrasted  with 
their  pre  ent  condition,  show  the  Welsh  to  be  splendid  people.     The 
resolute  spirit  that  drove  them   to  emigrate  across   the  seas  has 
served  to  make  their  township  there,  though  perhaps  not  particu- 
larly inviting  to  look  at,  a  flourishing  one  in  its  quiet  pastoral  way. 
They  have  laid  a  railway,  as  has  been  said,  to  the  coast  at  Puerto 
Madryn  and  established  a  telephone.     Spanish  and  Welsh  live  here 
as  neighbours.    The  Spaniard  keeps  the  store  while  the  Welshman 
farms,  growing  a  certain  amount  of  grain,  but  his  chief  business 
lies  in  breeding  horses,  cattle  and  sheep. 

The  Welshmen  are  not  wanting  in  keen  business  quality. 
Any  one  who  has  tried  to  buy  horses  in  Trelew  will  bear  me  out 
in  this  statement.  The  mere  fact  that  a  stranorer  has  arrived  in 
their  colony,  who  wants  to  invest  in  horseflesh,  awakens  all  their 
commercial  instincts,  and  they  are  not  at  all  behind  the  rest  of  the 
world  in  knowing  how  to  form  a  combine  for  the  purpose  of 
plundering  the  Philistines.  Quite  right  too.  A  man  who  can 
resist  making  a  bargain  over  a  horse  whenever  he  gets  the  chance 
is,  like  "  the  good  young  man  who  died,"  over-perfect  for  this 
corrupt  old  world. 

From  their  first  settlement  the  Welsh  have  spread  south 
through  the  coast-towns  of  Patagonia,  and  six  weeks'  journey  from 
Trelew  they  have  formed  another  settlement  inthe  Cordilleras  to 
the  north-west  which  they  have  called  the  "i6th  October  Colony." 
Thither  waggons  are  always  trekking,  and  waggon-drivers  and 
others  who  return  bring  with  them  glowing  and  rosy  descriptions 
of  the  young  settlement  of  the  interior.  The  adaptability  of  the 
Welsh  to  the  peculiar  needs  of  colonisation  is  very  remarkable. 
They  have  certainly  stepped  into  the  "  larger  life  "  with  success. 

The  influence  of  the  new  conditions  of  existence,  so  different 
from  that  of  the  Welsh  peasant  in  his  own  country,  is  very  notice- 
able in  several  ways.  The  older  and  the  younger  generation  are 
unlike  each  other  now,  and  will  probably  continue  to  become  more 


UL   TFirilNXJ    l.N    A    I'AIAGdMAN    STORE 


SOUTHWARD  HO! 


23 


so  as  time  goes  on.  Physically  the  younger  people  are  far  better 
developed  than  their  elders,  red-faced,  open-eyed,  straight- 
backed  boys  in  big  felt  hats,  each  with  a  bright-coloured  handker- 
chief knotted  round  his  neck 
and  the  guanaco-wool  poncho 
hanorinor  from  his  shoulders. 
They  are  very  picturesque  and 
look  their  best  on  horseback. 
In  this  matter  of  ridinsf  also 
there  is  a  wide  difference  be- 
tween the  styles  of  the  old  and 
the  young  men.  The  latter,  who 
are  Patagonian  born,  seem  to  be 
part  of  their  horses,  but  the 
elders,  however  excellent  long 
practice  has  made  them,  never 
attain  to  the  proficiency  of  their 
sons. 

Although  the  colony  of 
Trelew  is  to-day  in  a  more  or 
less  flourishing  condition  and 
very  Welsh,  a  grave  clanger  menaces  it.  In  fifty  years  time 
how  will  it  be  with  the  racial  element  ?  W  ill  there  be  as  many 
Welsh  then  as  now.'*  I  fear  not,  and  the  result  is  difficult  to 
foresee.  The  danger  takes  the  form  of  the  dark-eyed  Argentine 
maiden,  who  is  rather  apt  to  "make  roast  meat  of  the  heart" 
of  the  Welsh  youth.  While  the  Welsh  girls  do  not  take  very 
readily  to  Spanish-speaking  husbands,  the  Welsh  boys  fall  very 
much  in  love  with  the  daughters  of  the  South.  So  it  is  to  be 
concluded  that  the  language  difficulty  will  settle  itself,  or,  .it  .uiy 
rate,  become  more  easy  of  arrangement  with  each  succeeding 
generation.  If  the  girl  you  love  speaks  only  Spanish,  it  is  quite 
obvious  you  must  learn  Spanish  in  order  to  be  able  to  talk  to  her, 
and,  under  the  circumstances,  you  will  not  find  the  task  a  very 
hard  one.  Then  children  nearly  always  show  a  prelcrcnce  lor  the 
mother's  tongue  and  speech  in  contradistinction  to  that  ot  the 
father.      Probabl)-,  if  these  prophecies  were  utterctl  in    Trckw.  the 


HUMPHREY   JO.NES,  JUN. 


24  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

men  of  to-day  would  scoff  at  them.  But  onlookers  often  see  most 
of  the  game.  In  1865  the  Welsh,  in  deep  sorrow,  left  their  own 
land  to  escape  the  tyranny  of  the  English  law,  as  they  considered 
it,  which  sought  to  force  upon  them  the  English  language.  Their 
desire  was  to  preserve  their  own  tongue.  And  tlying  from  Scylla 
they  will  fall  (and  to  some  degree  have  already  fallen)  a  prey  to 
Charybdis.  But  it  is  a  very  pleasant  Charybdis,  typified  by  a 
dark-haired,  dark-eyed,  lissom  maiden,  who  will  bear  them  sons 
no  longer  of  the  old  pure-bred  Welsh  stock,  but  of  a  mixed  race. 
And  so  the  effort  of  the  forefathers,  who  fared  overseas  to  found  a 
new  home,  shall  be  made  null  and  void. 

Now  and  again  it  is  the  fate  of  frontier  towns  to  be  stirred  to 
their  depths  by  some  incursion  from  the  old  world  they  have  left 
behind  them.  Trelew  was  still  recovering  from  such  an  experience 
when  we  arrived  there.  The  settlement,  in  short,  had  been  suffer- 
ing from  a  plague  of  lords.  First  appeared  an  aristocrat,  who 
wished  to  travel  in  the  interior,  and  he  bought  up  horses  with  a 
lavish  hand,  and  generally  made  preparations  w^hich,  no  doubt, 
filled  the  purses  of  the  inhabitants.  This  gentleman's  projected 
tour,  however,  fell  through  for  some  reason,  and  he  departed 
whence  he  had  come  into  the  unknown  world  outside  of  Trelew's 
daily  cognisance. 

Presently  after  him  followed  a  second  "lord,"  who  gave  his 
name  as  Lord  Reed,  and  who  was  received  with  open  arms  by 
an  enthusiastic  community.  A  run  of  lords  appeared  to  be  setting 
in,  and  was  regarded  by  the  Trelewians  as  a  distinct  dispensation 
in  their  favour,  which  it  was  their  happy  duty  to  work  out  thoroughly 
to  their  own  advantage.  By  some  mistake  Lord  Reed  had  left 
his  ready  money  behind  him,  and,  therefore,  borrowed  pretty 
extensively  from  the  kind-hearted  Welshmen.  After  a  time  Lord 
Reed  vanished,  and  upon  inquiry  being  made  it  was  discovered 
that  no  such  title  as  Lord  Reed  was  to  be  found  in  the  Peeraofe  of 
Great  Britain.  When  this  fact  became  established,  more  than  one 
Welshman  is  reported  to  have  gone  out  after  Lord  Reed  with  the 
family  gun,  and,  I  believe,  he  was  finally  caught  with  a  lasso  !  But 
the  incident  was  not  without  its  bearing  on  our  personal  affairsjfpr 
the  Bank  of  Trelew  would  have  nothing  whatever  to  say  to  my 


SOUTHWARD  HO!  25 

Cook's  letter  of  credit.  In  vain  I  recited  my  credentials,  and  o-ave 
such  proof  of  genuineness  as  was  in  my  power  to  give.  They 
would  none  of  me.  The  bank  evidently  argued  that  it  was  easier 
to  pretend  that  you  were  a  bona-fide  traveller  than  that  you  were 
a  lord.  Lord  Reed  too ;  it  was  rather  a  taking  title.  1  could  not 
at  first  understand  where  the  humour  of  the  question,  put  to  me 
by  several  people  I  met  in  Trelew,  of  "Are  you  not  Lord 
Prichard  .'^ "  came  in.  In  fact,  it  was  disconcerting;  but  later  on, 
when  I  heard  the  above  story,  I  did  not  grudge  the  colonists  any 
fun  that  might  be  got  out  of  the  situation,  for  certainly  Lord  Reed, 
taken  all  in  all,  had  been  far  from  a  subject  of  pure  amusement  to 
them. 

We  remained  six  days  at  Trelew  making  those  last  few 
purchases  which  were  necessary  with  the  small  stock  of  e.xtra 
money  that  1  had  left  myself  as  a  margin.  It  was  directly  owing 
to  Lord  Reed  that  I  finally  set  forth  into  the  interior  with  but  thirty 
dollars  in  ArQ^entine  notes  and  larw  drafts  on  Cook  and  Son,  which 
were  quite  useless.  Although  the  wilderness  does  not  seem  a 
likely  field  for  spending  money,  yet,  before  our  travels  were  at  an 
end,  I  was  glad  to  sell  horses  to  supply  the  needs  of  our  party. 

The  journey  which  lay  before  us  to  Lake  Buenos  Aires  was  about 
six  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  this  distance  might  be  subdivided 
into  three  stages  :  the  first,  from  Trelew  to  Bahia  Camerones, 
where  the  expedition  became  complete  ;  the  second,  from  P^ahia 
Camerones  to  the  Lakes  Musters  and  Colhue  ;  and  the  third. 
to  Lake  Buenos  Aires  itself.  My  instructions  gave  me  an  entirely 
free  hand,  within  reasonable  limits,  as  to  the  number  of  men  I 
might  take  with  me. 

I  had  from  the  first  been  convinced  that  the  smallest  number 
possible  would  also  be,  in  our  case,  the  wisest.  The  immense 
extent  of  the  country  to  be  traversed,  and  the  difficulties  which 
must  inevitably  lie  in  our  way  to  hinder  and  delay  us,  as  well  as 
the  practical  emptiness  of  the  country,  which  rcciuircs  that  an 
expedition  shall  be  self-supporting,  were  saliciU  facts  ;  and  our 
plans  had  to  be  made  and  modified  in  relation  to  these  facts.  The 
•yiobility  of  the  party  was  the  main  point  to  aim  at.  I  lencc  il  w.is 
necessary  to  cut  down  the  personnel  of  the;  expedition  to  as  low  a 


26  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

number  as  possible,  and  it  was  further  most  important  to  have 
plenty  of  horses  and  to  spare. 

The  difficulty  of  feeding  several  men  when  travelling-  through 
such  a  country  was  obvious,  and  therefore  not  to  be  thought  of, 
as,  besides  the  four  horses  each  individual  needed  for  riding, 
the  extra  animals  for  carrying  provision  and  bedding,  clothing, 
tents,  &c.  had  to  be  taken  into  account.  No  pack-horse  should  be 
allowed  to  carry  his  load  two  days  consecutively,  and,  in  fact,  one 
day's  work  in  three  is  enough.  If  waggons  are  taken,  each  should 
be  allowed  three  teams  of  six  horses  each. 

With  such  ideas  in  view,  those  arrangements  were  made  which, 
in  fact,  enabled  us  to  cover  the  distances  we  achieved.  Any 
expedition  of  this  sort  is  killing  work  for  the  horses,  and  it  stands 
greatly  to  Burbury's  credit  that  we  lost  but  one  out  of  nearly  sixty 
during  the  months  we  spent  in  Patagonia,  and  that  one  was  a  colt 
that  died  of  eating  poison-shrub. 

There  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  the  policy  that  spells 
success  in  Patag'uiian  travel  is  summed  up  in  the  words,  "  Cut 
down  your  men  and  your  stores,  and  take  enough  horses  to  enable 
you  to  move  lightly  and  rapidly." 

On  Sf-ptember  21  we  left  Trelew  in  the  afternoon.  The 
weather  was  magnificent.  Our  caravan  at  this  period  con- 
sisted of  a  couple  of  waggons  as  well  as  the  horses.  Two 
estaiicieros,  Messrs.  Greenshields  and  Haddock,  accompanied  us, 
as  our  way  led  past  their  farms.  I  sent  the  waggons  ahead 
and  rode  on  afterwards  with  Burbury  and  Humphrey  Jones 
senior.  When  we  came  to  the  place  fixed  on  for  our  first  camp 
we  found  the  men  had  gone  on,  for  there  was  no  water  there.  We 
pushed  forward  in  the  dark,  and  presently  the  fire  of  the  encamp- 
ment glimmered  out  in  front  of  us  ;  it  seemed  to  be  quite  near, 
but  it  took  a  good  while  to  reach.  We  heard  an  occasional  fox, 
and  as  we  sat  round  the  fire  a  few  birds  passed  in  the  dark,  calling. 
The  first  night  in  camp  is  like  the  first  night  at  sea,  a  gloomy 
time. 

The  next  day  we  again  had  a  bright  sun  with  a  strong  west 
wind.  We  chased  some  pampa  foxes  and  an  ostrich  [Rhea 
danvini)  and  killed  two  of  the  former.     Jones  and  Burbury  caught 


V 


^ 


«.'» 


« % 


1  ill'!  I  iksi'  <;r.\NACO 


SOUTHWARD  HO! 


27 


THE   START   ON   OUR    LONG   TRICK 


a  cavy  [Doh'c/iotis  patagonica).  So  we  marched  on  over  the 
rolling-  downs  day  after  day,  sometimes  catching-  a  glimpse  of 
the  sea,  sometimes  journeying  across  pampas  where  the  far 
horizons  met  in  pale  blue  sky  and  puffed  white  clouds  above, 
and  below  (>"rass  and 
endless  scrub.  We 
saw  Cayenne  plover 
( Vaiiellus  cayennensis) 
at  an  early  stage  of 
our  travels. 

I  have  already 
mentioned  the  herds 
of  oruanaco  that  roam 
the  interior.  This 
animal  belongs  dis- 
tinctively to  South 
America,  and  is  to  be 
found  nowhere  else  in 

the  world,  Darwin  writes  of  it  as  follows  :  "  The  guanaco,  or 
wild  llama,  is  the  characteristic  quadruped  of  the  plains  of  Pata- 
gonia. .  .  .  It  is  an  elegant  animal  in  a  state  of  nature,  with  a 
lono-  slender  neck  and  fine  lefjs."  In  colour  the  ouanaco  is  of  a 
golden-brown  with  white  underparts,  the  hair  upon  the  sides  being 
somewhat  long  and  fieecy.  Enormous  herds  of  from  three  to  five 
hundred  live  upon  the  pampas,  and  we  were  aware  that  we  should 
chiefly  depend  for  meat  on  those  we  might  chance  to  shoot  during 
many  months  to  come. 

One  evening,  when  I  was  riding  ahead  with  the  troop  of  horses, 
I  saw  mv  first  ofuanaco.  Comingf  round  a  bend  of  the  windintr 
canadoii,  I  looked  up  and  perceived  him.  The  sight  was  highly 
picturesque.  It  was  an  old  buck  standing  alone  on  the  top  ol  a 
cliff  some  two  hundred  feet  high  and  looking  down  at  me.  He 
was  posed  against  a  background  of  pale  green  glinting  sunset.  I 
had  hardly  time  to  unsling  my  rifle  before  he  bounded  away.  We 
saw  many  thousands  afterwards,  but  somehow  in  the  nature  of 
thino's  I  shall  never  forget  that  first  one. 

On  the  coast-farms,  which,  it  must  be  recollected,  are   manv  of 


28  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

them  scores  of  square  leagues  in  extent,  the  guanaco  grows  com- 
paratively tame,  becoming  used  to  the  passing  of  mounted 
shepherds  ;  but  in  other  parts  of  Patagonia,  noticeably  in  the 
valley  of  the  River  Chico  of  Chubut,  through  which  we  passed 
later,  they  are  very  wild,  allowing  no  human  being  to  approach 
within  half  a  mile.  This  is  owing  to  the  Indians,  who  hunt  them 
perpetually  in  that  district. 

Once  in  camp  in  Patagonia  life  is  very  enjoyable,  though 
perhaps  the  enjoyment  varies  with  the  amount  of  game  to  be  seen. 
Up  at  sunrise,  when  the  sun  pokes  its  big  bald  lemon-coloured 
head  out  of  the  bed-clothes  of  the  sky.  Then  some  early  camp- 
man  stirs  and  rises,  and  waddles  down  to  the  wet  grey  ashes  of 
yesternight's  fire,  and  soon  a  weak  trail  of  smoke  goes  rocketing 
away  in  the  wind.  The  big  pot  is  put  on  and  breakfast  is  made 
and  eaten.  Then  the  cargo  is  packed,  anci  the  horses  are  rounded 
up  by  a  Gaucho  or  two,  riding  bareback.  We  saddle  up  and  the 
caravan  moves  off  on  its  leagues-long  march. 

Marches  vary  from  fifteen  miles  to  forty,  and  when  the  after- 
noon sun  waxes  less  strong  the  horses  are  off-saddled  and  turned 
loose,  the  waggons  unpacked  and  the  camp-fires  lighted.  Jllat^ 
eternally,  a  roast,  tea  afterwards  and  a  pipe,  and  then  the  sleeping- 
bags.  Matd  or  ye7^ba,  I  must  explain,  is  the  great  drink  of  the 
pampas,  and  is  most  invigorating.  A  cup  or  tin  is  half  fiUed  with 
the  yellow  powdery  leaves,  to  which  is  added  a  little  cold  water, 
followed  by  hot.  It  is  drunk  through  a  bombilla  or  tube,  the  maker 
of  the  decoction  taking  the  first  pull,  and  afterwards  it  passes  from 
hand  to  hand,  and  I  must  add  from  mouth  to  mouth,  round  the 
circle.  It  is  the  greatest  insult  to  refuse  to  partake,  and  when  the 
originator  of  the  brew  happens  to  be  an  old  and  rather  unappetising 
Tehuelche  lady,  the  effort  to  take  your  turn  and  look  pleased  is 
often  something  of  an  ordeal. 

Day  after  clay  went  by  in  much  the  same  manner,  but  few  remem- 
brances remain  with  me  more  vividly  than  the  pampa  fox  and  cavy 
hunting  which  we  enjoyed  during  those  early  times  of  our  expedi- 
tion, h'our  lurchers  of  sorts  and  my  big  greyhound,  Tom,  trotted 
behind  our  horses,  and  when  game  was  sighted  we  went  after  it  at 
full  gallop.     In  that  keen  air  nothing  can  be  more  exhilarating  than 


SOUTHWARD  HO! 


29 


//.#¥» 


LANGLEY's  nSTAXCIA   ON   THE   KOAD  TO   BAHIA   CAMERONES 


such  a  chase  over  the  broken  ground  of  the  pampa,  where  we  were 
often  successful,  but  among  hummocks  and  hills  the  quarry 
frequently  made  good  its  escape. 

On  the  25th  we  passed  a  ferm  that  was  quite  English  in  appear- 
ance —  wire-fences  en- 
closing sheep  and  lambs 
on  downs  that  descended 
in  undulations  to  the 
sea.  By  evenino-  we 
were  in  broken  country 
patched  with  red  rock. 
The  horses  were  rather 
troublesome ;  Hughes, 
one  of  the  Gauchos, 
rode  an  untamed  mare 
and  orave  a  o^ood  exhi- 
bition  of  horsemanship,  mk. 
Among  the  sheep    and 

the  hills  an  Indian  rode  down  from  the  high  ground  ;  he  wore 
a  poncho  of  red  and  black,  tinted  like  autumn  trees.  His  camp 
consisted  of  a  little  fire  of  three  or  four  sticks,  by  which  squatted 
his  china.  He  took  his  place  beside  her,  and  watched  our  line  of 
waggons  and  horses  wind  away  out  of  sight. 

From  Trelew  to  Camerones  the  country  was  for  the  most  part 
like  the  bare  deer-forests  of  the  Scottish  Highlands,  brown  bracken 
being  replaced  by  espinilla  (thorn,  a  general  term)  and  the  tureen 
shrub  called  by  the  Welshmen  "  poison-bush,"  the  same  blue  skv 
above,  the  same  occasional  lochlike  lagoons.  For  the  first  two 
days  or  more  the  pampas  stretched  to  the  rim  of  the  horizon, 
empty  and  somewhat  harsh  even  in  the  sunlight.  Now  and  then 
mirages  like  squadrons  of  cavalry  hovered  along  the  edges  of  them. 
A  few  guanaco  and  ostriches,  a  S{)rinkling  of  cavy.  and  manv 
pampa  foxes  seemed  to  eke  out  an  existence  there.  It  was  a  land 
of  vast  prospects,  a  scene  laid  tt)rih  with  a  sort  of  noble  parsimony, 
which — as  in  the  case  of  a  miser  so  miserly  that  for  the  very 
exceedingness  of  his  vice  you  respect  him — was  yet  stupendous  in 
its  one  or  two  grandly    simple  salient    features,   and    drove    the 


30  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

spectator  to  that  admiration  which  verges  upon  fear.  Picture  one 
such  characteristic  vision  of  Patagonia.  As  far  as  eye  could  reach 
a  spread  of  wind-weary  grass,  roofed  by  a  wind-blown  sky,  an 
eagle  poised  far  off,  a  dot  in  the  upper  air.      Nothing  more. 

A  man  alone  within  this  vast  setting  seemed  puny.  Lost  here, 
without  a  horse,  he  would  be  the  most  helpless  of  things  created.  1 1 
was  across  this  gigantic  primordialism  that  our  way  led  us.  Three 
times  we  made  our  camp  upon  the  bare  pampas,  three  times  in  one 
or  other  of  the  many  cahadones  before  reaching  Bahia  Camerones. 
You  may  be  voyaging  at  an  easy  jog  over  the  pampa,  seeing  the 
land  roll  apparently  quite  level  to  the  horizon,  when  suddenly  you 
come  upon  a  spatter  of  white  sand,  a  track  leading  between  the 
shoulders  of  the  pampa,  you  dive  clown  and  are  lost  to  sight  in 
a  moment ;  then,  perhaps,  for  four  miles  or  for  fourteen  you  are 
riding"  a  couple  of  hundred  feet  below  the  level  spread  of  the 
pampa,  and  as  you  pass  the  guanaco  on  the  cliff  tops  watch  you  un- 
easily.     To  be  lost  in  such  a  land  is  the  simplest  possible  matter. 

On  the  2  7t.h  we  arrived  at  the  Estancia  Lochiel,  where  Mr. 
Greenshields  most  kindly  entertained  us.  This  estancia  is  situated 
at  the  head  of  a  cafiadoii,  which  drops  away  to  the  sea  eight 
leagues  distant.  It  consists  of  a  small  colony  of  wooden  houses 
with  corrugated  iron  roofs.  The  Lochiel  Sheep  Farming  Company, 
of  which  Mr.  Greenshields  is  manager,  have  15,000  sheep  and 
forty  square  leagues  of  camp.  "  Camp,"  you  must  understand, 
in  Patagonia  means  land. 

The  day  after  our  arrival  Scrivenor  and  Burbury  accompanied 
Mr.  Frederick  Haddock  to  his  farm,  eight  leagues  away,  in  order 
to  bring  back  the  horses  I  had  purchased  by  contract  in  Trelew. 
I  remained  behind  as  Mr.  Greenshields'  guest,  for  a  puma  was 
reported  by  the  shepherd  to  have  killed  five  sheep  upon  the  edge 
of  the  farm  during  the  previous  night. 

Macdonald,  the  Scotch  shepherd,  Barckhausen  and  I  set  out 
to  see  if  we  could  lind  the  puma.  On  my  way  to  the  spot  I 
shot  my  first  guanaco.  He  appeared  upon  the  skyline  doing 
sentinel,  possibly  against  the  very  puma  we  were  after.  We 
rode  under  the  hill  on  wliich  the  guanaco  was  watching,  and 
he  began  to  move  uneasily.      \\.  the  bend  of  the  hill  was  a  small 


SOUTHWARD  HO!  31 

hollow,  and,  as  we  rode  through  this,  I  told  my  companions  to 
ride  on  and  threw  them  my  cabresto  (leadino-rope  of  a  horse).  I 
slid  off  the  horse  and  crawled  up  the  hill.  Upon  the  bare  face  of 
it  was  a  thicket  of  poison-bush,  and  into  this  I  ultimately  made  my 
way.  The  sentinel  guanaco  was  there  above  me,  stretching  out 
his  long  neck,  and  every  now  and 
then  giving  his  high  neighing 
laueh.     When    one    hundred   and  ^ 

twenty  yards  off  he  saw  me,  and 
I  had  to  snap  him  quickly.  Swing- 
went  his  neck,  and  away  he  gal- 
loped with  his  swift,  uneven  gait. 
I  thought  I  had  missed  him, 
when,  to  my  delight,  he  began 
to  slacken  speed,  and  finally  lay 
down  in  an  ungainly  attitude,  his 
Ions:  neck  crooked  in  a  curve  in 
front  of  him.  I  crawled  nearer, 
and  up  he  got  and  was  off  again. 
I     ran    down    to    my    horse    and 

mounted,  and  Macdonald  let  Tom,  my  hound,  loose.  We  galloped 
the  guanaco  up.  He  was  very  sick  indeed,  and  inside  of  three 
hundred  yards  Tom  pulled  him  down  again.  The  ^Mauser  bullet 
had  hit  hini  two  inches  behind  the  shoulder  about  half  way  down 
the  body.  It  had  not  come  out.  How  he  managed  to  get  so 
far  I  cannot  understand.  We  then  went  onwards,  and  saw  by  the 
way  several  herds  of  guanaco.  I  did  not  shoot  any  more, 
however,  as  they  were  uncommonly  tame,  and  there  was,  of 
course,  mutton  at  the  estancia.  We  reached  the  spot  on  the 
hills  above  the  puma's  kill,  low  thorn  bushes,  vast  moiiiuain  and 
blue  sea,  but  no  sign  of  the  puma  was  to  l)e  found.  These 
animals  will  often  travel  four  or  five  leagues  after  a  kill. 

By  the  way,  when  you  fire  at  a  guanaco  they  will  sway  their 
heads  downwards  with  an  odd  sort  of  ducking  motion.  Not  one 
individual  Ijui  a  whole  herd  will  do  this  at  any  unaccustomed 
sound.     The  effect  is  most  curious. 

While   ciL    Dahia   Lamcroiies  our   parl\-    was    completed.      W  c 


FREDERICK   BARCKHAUSEN 


32  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

took  with  us  five  Gauchos,  who  are  active,  handy  men  as  a  rule. 
The  population  of  the  country  is  largely  composed  of  Gauchos  ; 
in  fact,  they  form  the  foundation  of  Patagonian  life. 

They  live  by  the  horse,  and  the  horse  lives  by  them.  They 
drive  mobs  of  cattle  or  of  horses  for  owners  across  three  degrees 
of  latitude  to  sell  them.  They  have  been  born  in  the  camp,  live 
in  the  camp,  and  will  very  likely  die  there  also.  In  Patagonia 
they  treat  their  horses  in  a  method  very  different  to  that  which  we 
employ  in  our  crowded  country.  There  nature  gives  grass,  water, 
and  the  horse  ;  man  tames  the  animal  as  little  as  possible  from  his 
wild  state,  and  forces  an  alliance  with  nature.  At  night  the  mares 
are  hobbled  and  the  horses  turned  loose  ;  while  the  Gauchos  light 
their  camp-fire  and  drink  matd  through  the  boinbilla. 

At  the  first  light  next  morning  they  take  it  in  turn  to  bring  in 
the  troop,  which  they  do  with  an  astonishing  swiftness.  Some- 
times, of  course,  the  horses  "  clear,"  and  then  it  is  that  the  Gauchos 
in  charge  find  them  by  tracking. 

In  a  country  intersected  by  deep  cahadoncs,  which  offer  a  secure 
hiding-place  in  their  many  hollows,  this  is  a  difficult  matter.  The 
tracks  perhaps  run  easily  through  a  belt  of  soft  marsh,  and  then 
are  invisible  upon  a  pampa  of  shingle  and  thorn. 

A  true  Gaucho  must  be  able  to  do  a  number  of  things — to  back 
an  untamed  colt,  to  lassoo,  to  use  the  boleadores,  which  are  heavy 
stones  attached  together  by  a  hide  rope,  and  are  to  the  Patagonian 
what  the  boomerano-  is  to  the  Australian  aborii^^ine.  He  must  be 
able  to  cook,  to  make  horse-gear  from  the  pelts  of  beasts,  to  find 
his  way  without  a  compass  from  point  to  point,  by  instinct  as  it 
were. 

The  Gaucho  shares  with  the  poet  the  honour  of  being  born, 
not  made.  This  proves  that  Gaucho  work  is  Art,  with  a  big  A. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  power  of  driving  single-handed  a  big  mob 
of  wild  horses  and  keeping  them  compact.  No  one  who  has  not 
tried  it  can  imagine  what  heartbreakinir  work  it  is  to  a  beo-inner. 

O  C3  O 

One  learns  to  do  it  after  a  fashion  in  time,  but  never  like  the  man 
who  has  been  bred  to  the  craft. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES 

Leave  Bahia  Camerones — Horses  wild — Decide  on  taking  one  waggon — Bell- 
mare — Names  of  horses — Breaking-in  of  horses — German  peones — Horses 
stray — Gaucho  trick — Watching  troop  at  night — Four  languages — Signalling 
by  smokes — Searching  for  horses — Favourite  words  and  phrases — Nag  of  the 
baleful  eye — Canadon  of  the  dry  river — Bad  ground — Flies — Ostrich  eggs — 
Shooting  guanaco — River  Chico  of  Chubut — Puma's  visit  at  night — Condor — 
Lady  killed — Singing  in  camp — Stormy  night — Breakdown  of  waggon — 
Guanaco  on  stony  ground — Long  chase — Guanaco's  death. 

I  WILL  not  bore  my  readers  with  all  the  technicalities  of  our 
preparations  for  the  real  start. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  our  total  belongings  were  stowed  upon  a 
waggon  and  on  the  backs  of  four  pack-horses.  We  had  in  all 
sixty  horses,  and  eight  men.  About  forty  of  these  horses  had 
been  running  wild  upon  the  pampa  for  eight  months  previous  to 
our  acquiring  them.  During  that  time  they  had  been  lost  and  had 
only  been  recaptured  shortly  before  our  arrival  in  Trelew.  The 
purchase  of  them  was,  however,  the  best  speculation  I  could 
make  under  the  circumstances,  since  all  the  animals  were  good  and 
sound.  Had  I  bought  by  small  instalments  in  Trelew.  not  only 
would  every  man  within  journeying  distance  have  very  naturally 
attempted  to  palm  off  upon  me  the  worst  and  most  vicious  animals 
he  possessed,  but  the  horses,  not  being  used  to  one  another's 
company,  would  have  been  impossible  to  keep  together  at  night 
upon  the  pampas,  as  the  various  sections  composing  such  a  tropilla 
would  inevitably  have  scattered  to  the  four  points  of  the  compass. 

Patagonian  horses,  which  are  descended  from  those  bnnight 
over  bv  the  Spaniards  in  the  sixteenth  century,  arc  never  stabled, 
but  are  turned  out  rain  and  snow  in  their  troops.  Hiese  tn^ops 
or  tropillas  consist  of  an\-  number  from  six   animals  to  thirty,  and 


34 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


to  each  is  assigned  a  madriiia,  or  bell-mare,  which  is  never  ridden, 
and  which  is  trained  to  be  caught  easily.  At  night  she  is  hobbled, 
and  her  troop  remain   round  about  her.      Naturally  a  well-trained 


A    I'AMTA    RfM'Nn-UP 


jnadrina  is  one  affair,  while  a  badly-trained  one  is  quite  another. 
In  my  mob  of  horses  I  had  four  troops,  two  good  luadrinas  and 
one  bad  one,  while  the  fourth  w^as  a  rosada,  whose  sole  object  in 
life  seemed  to  be  to  get  away  from  her  own  troop  and  to  kick  any 
one  who  came  within  ten  feet  of  her. 

When  you  desire  to  put  a  strange  horse  or  colt  into  a  troop, 
it  is  necessary  to  couple  him  to  the  inadrina  for  some  days,  after 
which  he  will  remain  with  the  troop.  The  inadrina  should  never 
be  driven  in  hobbles,  a  mistake  that  is  often  made  when  bringing 
in  the  horses  of  a  morning.  A  horse  used  to  hobbles  can  travel 
in  them  four  or  five  leagues  in  a  single  night,  so  the  reason  why 
the  mares  should  not  be  allowed  ever  to  become  used  to  travellino- 
in  hobbles  is  obvious.  The  niadrina  has  a  bell  attached  to  her 
neck,  and  the  last  sound  heard  before  you  sleep  is  the  soft  tinkle 
of  these  bells  and  the  comfortable  sound  of  feeding  horses,  unless 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  35 

the  troop  happens  to  take  it  into  their  head  to  make  off,  in  which 
case  you  will  have  a  long  ride  upon  their  tracks  in  the  morning. 

The  horses  throughout  the  Argentine  Republic  are  known  by 
their  colours  (for  which  the  Spanish  language  supplies  an  extra- 
ordinary variety  of  terms  signifying  every  tint  and  shade),  and  to 
these  names  they  answer.  Some  of  the  names  are  melodious  and 
pretty — alazan,  which  means  chestnut,  criizado,  the  name  given  to 
a  horse  that  possesses  alternate  white  feet,  the  off  fore  and  the  near 
hind  foot,  or  the  other  way  round.  There  is  a  theory  among  the 
Gauchos  that  a  cruzado  will  never  tire.  I  cannot  do  better  than 
give  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  horses  of  my  own  tropilla,  though, 
of  course,  there  are  many  others  : 

Alazan,  chestnut.  Overo,     piebald     or      skew- 

■  Astilejo,      bluish-grey      and     bald, 
white  in  patches.  Pangard,  brown  or  bay  with 

Bayo,  fawn.  fawn  muzzle. 

Blanco,  white.  Picaso,     black     with     white 

Cruzado^  with  crossed  white     blaze  and  white  legs, 
feet.  Rosado,    red    and    white     in 

Gateado,    yellow   with   black     patches,  roan, 
stripe  down  back.  Rosillo,  strawberry. 

Hoi^qzieta,  slit-eared.  Tordillo,  grey. 

Moro,  grey.  Tostado,  toast-coloured. 

Oscuro,  black.  Zaino,  brown  or  dark  bay. 

The  taminor  of  these  horses  is  a  business  of  which  an  account 
may  not  be  uninteresting.  The  methods  used  are  of  a  very  rough 
description.  The  colt  is  caught  from  the  mafiada,  or  troop  of 
mares  in  which  he  was  born,  with  a  lasso,  a  head-stall  is  put  on 
him  and  he  is  tied  up  to  the  palenqtte,  or  centre-post  of  the  corral. 
Here  he  is  left  for  twelve  hours  or  so,  during  which  he  generally 
expends  his  energies  in  trying  to  pull  the  palenquc  out  of  the 
ground.  He  is  then  saddled  up,  generally  with  an  accompaniment 
of  buckino-,  and  the  Gaucho  who  is  to  tame  him  climbs  upon  his 
back.  Another  mounted  Gaucho  is  near  by  to  "  ride  oftV  which 
he  does  by  galloping  between  the  colt  and  any  dangerous  ground 
or  object.  Probably  the  colt  will  begin  by  bucking,  but  if  he  does 
not  do  so  during  his  first  gallop  it  by  no  means  follows  that  he  will 


1^6  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

turn  out  to  be  free  from  the  fault.  Indeed  it  is  quite  probable  that 
he  may  be  soft  and  fat  after  his  easy  youth  upon  the  pampas,  and 
not  till  about  the  fifth  or  sixth  gallop  will  he  show  such  vices  as  are 
in  him.  At  first  he  is  ridden  on  the  bocado,  which  is  a  soft  strip 
of  hide  tied  round  the  lower  jaw.  This  answers  to  the  heavy 
snaffle  which  is  the  first  bit  a  colt  has  to  submit  to  in  England. 

The  Gauchos  of  Patagonia  are  not  nearly  patient  enough  with 
the  mouths  of  their  mounts,  spoiling  many  by  harsh  treatment. 
Different  colours  in  horses  are  supposed  to  indicate  different  tem- 
peraments ;  thus  they  say  a  Moro  colt  is  generally  docile,  while  a 
Picaso  has  the  reputation  of  being  very  much  the  reverse. 

The  horses  of  Northern  Patagonia — such  as  were  ours,  for  they 
came  from  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Negro — are  reputed  to  be  more 
spirited  than  those  bred  in  the  south.  But  this  theory  is  possibly 
owinor  to  the  fact  that  the  averao^e  Gaucho  of  the  north  is  a  better 
rider  than  his  brother  of  the  south.  The  horses  are,  I  fancy,  much 
the  same. 

Many  Patagonian  horses  are  what  may  be  called  "  quick  to 
mount,"  starting  at  a  canter  as  soon  as  their  rider's  foot  touches 
the  stirrup.  This  also  is  the  fault  of  the  breakers-in.  There  are 
few  tricks  more  annoying  or,  upon  a  hillside,  more  dangerous. 

After  this  short  description  my  readers  will  be  able  to  under- 
stand more  fully  the  happenings  which  I  am  about  to  describe. 

On  October  3  we  set  out  from  Mr.  Greenshields',  and  at  the 
moment  of  starting  Fritz  Gleditzsch,  a  German  from  Dresden, 
whom  I  had  broucrht  with  me  from  Buenos  Aires,  and  whom  I  had 
enLTaged  on  the  best  recommendations,  came  to  me  and  told  me 
that  he  could  not  go  farther  because  he  had  had  no  meat  to  eat 
upon  the  previous  night.  As  the  meat-shed  was  situated  about 
two  hundred  yards  from  where  my  men  were  encamped,  and  as 
he  had  free  access  to  it,  I  began  to  understand  that  F^ritz  was 
something  of  an  old  soldier.  Had  1  been  able  to  get  another 
man  to  replace  him  on  the  spot  I  should  have  done  so,  but  with 
my  large  troop  (jf  horses  I  was  more  or  less  in  the  hands  of 
my  peoncs,  a  not  uncommon  difficulty  to  overtake  the  traveller 
in  Patagonia,  and  one  upon  which  nvdny  peoncs  count. 

The  real  reason  for  F>itz's  recalcitrance  turned  out  to  be  the 


^^^3/7       ' 


i 

■■■■  -   ■   ■   ■           -4 .- 

-      |...e 

68 

6ft 

64, 

62 

,n„i  ^^  :V    CHI  ti'»,";- 


MAP 

Showing  Route  of  Expedition  through 


Scnla  of  Miloa. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  37 

arrival  in  my  camp  of  a  compatriot  and  erstwhile  companion. 
Hans  Hollesen,  who  had  applied  to  join  the  expedition.  I  took 
them  both  along,  for,  having  paid  Master  Fritz's  way  from  Buenos 
Aires,  I  did  not  relish  the  notion  of  obtaining  no  return  for  the 
outlay,  and  I  knew  that,  once  we  passed  Colohuapi,  I  shoukl  be 
master  of  the  situation. 

I  heard  months  afterw^ards  from  a  New  Zealander,  who  had 
been  on  board  the  Primero  de  Mayo  with  Fritz,  that  that  gentle- 
man was  looking  forward  to  a  soft  job,  and  had  boasted  that  he 
would  certainly  desert  us  if  we  marched  more  than  ten  miles  a 
day. 

Our  first  march  was  about  three  leagues,  and  we  made  our  camp 
beside  a  small  shallow  lagoon  upon  which  a  couple  of  ashy-headed 
geese  {Beruicla  poliocephald)  were  swimming.  I  shot  them  both 
for  the  pot. 

It  was  about  six  o'clock  w^hen  we  camped,  and  Burbury,  who 
was  in  charge  of  the  horses,  took  every  possible  precaution  to 
prevent  their  straying,  a  very  likely  contingency  upon  their  first 
night  in  the  open  pampa.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  horses  were 
watched  all  night,  morning  found  us  with  but  thirty-seven  out  of 
the  whole  number.  Soon  after  daylight  Burbury,  with  some  of  the 
men,  rode  out  to  recover  them.  They  returned  unsuccessful. 
Durino-  the  mornino-  a  wanderino-  Gaucho  came  into  camp  and 
said  he  had  seen  some  horses  in  a  cahadon  near  by.  The  Welsh- 
men rode  out  there  but  came  back  disappointed,  as  the  horses  were 
not  ours.  At  eleven  o'clock  next  morning"  I  sent  three  of  the  men 
back  to  Mr.  Haddock's,  from  whose  estancia  the  lost  troop  had 
been  acquired,  the  probabilities  being  that  the\  had  headed  back 
for  home.  But  shortly  after  Burbury  and  the  Germans  returned 
with  the  horses,  which  had  travelled  about  nine  miles,  and  were 
discovered  calmly  feeding  in  a  canadon.  It  was  Burlniry  who  dis- 
covered them  by  a  smart  piece  of  Gaucho  work. 

Next  night,  October  6,  we  watched  the  horses  in  turns.  It 
was  a  cold  ni'>ht  lit  bv  a  moon.  W'c  had  some  reason  to  beliexe 
that  our  Gaucho  friend  of  the  day  before  had  not  been  altogether 
innocent  in  connection  with  the  straying  ot  the  horses.  Such  a 
man  will  ride  quietly  through  the  scattered  horses  feeding  in  the 


=^ 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  37 

arrival  in  my  camp  of  a  compatriot  and  erstwhile  companion, 
Hans  Hollesen,  who  had  applied  to  join  the  expedition.  I  took 
them  both  along,  for,  having  paid  Master  Fritz's  way  from  Buenos 
Aires,  I  did  not  relish  the  notion  of  obtaining  no  return  for  the 
outlay,  and  I  knew  that,  once  we  passed  Colohuapi,  I  should  be 
master  of  the  situation. 

I  heard  months  afterwards  from  a  New  Zealander,  who  had 
been  on  board  the  Primei'O  de  Mayo  with  h>itz,  that  that  gentle- 
man was  looking  forward  to  a  soft  job,  and  had  boasted  that  he 
would  certainly  desert  us  if  we  marched  more  than  ten  miles  a 
dav. 

Our  first  march  was  about  three  leagues,  and  we  made  our  camp 
beside  a  small  shallow  lagoon  upon  which  a  couple  of  ashy-headed 
geese  (Bernicla  poliocephala)  were  swimmiiig.  I  shot  them  both 
for  the  pot. 

It  was  about  six  o'clock  w^hen  we  camped,  and  Burbury,  who 
was  in  charge  of  the  horses,  took  every  possible  precaution  to 
prevent  their  straying,  a  very  likely  contingency  upon  their  first 
night  in  the  open  pampa.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  horses  were 
watched  all  night,  morning  found  us  with  but  thirty-seven  out  of 
the  whole  number.  Soon  after  daylight  Burbury,  with  some  of  the 
men,  rode  out  to  recover  them.  They  returned  unsuccessful. 
Durino-  the  mornino-  a  wandering-  Gaucho  came  into  camp  and 
said  he  had  seen  some  horses  in  a  canadon  near  by.  The  \\  elsh- 
men  rode  out  there  but  came  back  disappointed,  as  the  horses  were 
not  ours.  At  eleven  o'clock  next  mornino-  I  sent  three  of  the  men 
back  to  Mr.  Haddock's,  from  v\hose  estancia  the  lost  troop  had 
been  acquired,  the  probabilities  being  thai  Lhc\  had  headed  back 
for  home.  But  shortly  after  Burbury  and  the  Germans  returned 
with  the  horses,  which  had  travelled  about  nine  miles,  and  were 
discovered  calmly  feeding  in  a  canadon.  It  w^as  Burbury  who  dis- 
covered them  by  a  smart  piece  of  Gaucho  work. 

Next  niofht,  October  6.  we  watched  the  horses  in  tin-ns.  It 
was  a  cold  night  lit  by  a  moon.  We  had  some  reasc-in  to  belie\-e 
that  our  (iaucho  friend  of  the  day  before  had  not  bcm  .iltogether 
innocent  in  connection  with  thc^  straying  ot  ilie  horses.  Such  a 
man  will  ride  quietly  through   ihc  scattered  horses  feeding  in  tlu' 


38  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

gloom  and  stampede  them.  He  will  follow  a  small  mob  and  drive 
them  into  some  fold  of  the  hills,  such  as,  no  doubt,  he  knows  a 
dozen  of,  and  hide  them  there  until,  after  several  days,  a  reward  is 
offered  by  the  owner.  The  Gaucho  will  then  ride  casually  into 
the  camp,  drink  a  inatc\  hear  the  story,  and  remark  that  he  is  well 
acquainted  with  the  country  round.  If  asked  whether  he  can  give 
any  opinion  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  lost  horses,  he  says, 
'' Quien  sabe?''  but  suggests  they  may  be  in  a  '' canadon  inuy 
livipio''  to  which  horses  often  stray.  In  reply  to  any  question 
as  to  where  the  cahadon  may  lie,  he  replies,  "  Over  there,"  and 
waves  his  hand  half  round  the  compass.  He  may  add  that  he  is 
looking  for  seven  mares  of  his  own  that  strayed  away  last  Friday 
week  or  he  would  himself  undertake  the  office  of  guide.  If  any 
hint  of  payment  be  given,  he  goes  on  to  say  that,  since  his  mares 
have  been  lost  so  long  they  may  remain  lost  a  little  longer,  while 
he  guides  and  aids  the  travellers  in  their  search,  not,  of  course,  for 
the  money's  worth,  that  will  not  recompense  him  for  the  mares, 
which  may  wander  away  altogether  out  of  the  province  because  of 
his  delay  in  looking  for  them,  but  because  he  would  do  a  kindness 
to  persons  for  whom  he  has  conceived  a  liking.  So  he  acts  as 
guide,  and,  after  a  decent  interval,  finds  the  horses  and  pouches 
his  reward.  It  is  an  excellent  trade,  as  there  is  no  risk  and  plenty 
of  emolument  to  recommend  it,  and,  in  fiict,  it  is  a  common  enough 
trick  in  Patagonia. 

I  sat  most  of  the  night  by  the  fire — except  when  my  turn  came 
to  ride  round  the  horses,  which  we  had  placed  in  a  small  hollow — 
writing  up  my  diary  by  the  light  of  the  fire,  and  watching  the  men 
ride  in  and  out  of  the  moonlight  and  the  shadows.  As  the  night 
advanced  the  cold  increased.  The  moon  left  us  about  3.30  a.m. 
and  it  became  very  dark.  As  I  circled  on  my  beat  I  passed  by  a 
wild  cat.  Morning  found  the  horses  all  right.  We  had,  however, 
to  delay  a  little  to  allow  of  our  men  returning  from  Haddock's. 

On  October  7  we  fared  forth  once  more  upon  our  way,  and 
the  ill-luck  that  had  attended  us  at  this  first  camp  was  with  us  up 
to  the  last  moment  of  the  three  days  we  spent  there,  for  as 
the  waesfon  besan  to  move  off  an  alazan  fell  beneath  the  front 
wheel,  which  passed   clean    over   his    near    fore    leg.      Strangely 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  39 

enough,  owing  to  some  inequality  of  the  ground,  the  waggon, 
although  very  heavily  laden,  did  not  hurt  the  animal.  He  was  not 
even  cut,  and  when  we  got  him  up  he  resumed  his  journey  as 
if  nothing  had  happened,  and  eventually  turned  out  one  of  our  best 
horses. 

We  now  made  two  or  three  good  marches  in  succession,  but  on 


J.    B.    SCKIVKNOK    (GEOLOGIST]    AM)    MULA 


October  10,  in  spite  of  all  precautions,  the  horses  belonging  to  the 
black  mares  troop  deserted  her.*  Upon  this,  finding  that  until 
the  horses  of  the  different  troops  became  more  used  to  each  other, 
it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  keep  them  together  on  the  open 
pampas,  where,  as  a  further  disadvantage,  the  grass  was  poor  and 
sparse,  and  the  horses  had  to  scatter  a  great  deal  to  feed,  I  decided 
to  cut  across  to  the  Rio  Chico  of  Chubut  and  march  aloni^  the 
river  valley,  the  tall  cliffs  of  which  would  serve  as  a  barrier  to  pre- 
vent the  tropilla  straying.  Never  was  such  an  awful  place  as  these 
pampas  in  which  to  lose  anything,  or,  worse  still,  to  get  lost  yourself 
You  ride  a  hundred  yards  or  so  and  you  arc  in  some  deep-mouthed 
cahadoii,  lying  Bush  with  the  pampa,  and  out  of  sight  of  your  com- 
panions in  an  instant. 

On  the  expedition  we  spoke  four  languages — Spanish,  English, 
Gernian  and  Welsh,  but  English  was  more  used  than  the  others. 

'■•-  When  a  mare  is  in  foal — as  was  the  case  with  the  black  mare — her  troop  will 
often  desert  her  and  wander  away,  but  when  the  foal  is  born  the  horses  become  very 
nuich  attached  to  it. 


40  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

On  one  occasion  we  had  to  light  a  couple  of  fires  to  signal  some 
of  the  men  who  were  out  looking  for  horses;  one  of  these  spread 
rather  much,  but  was  easily  put  out  with  a  spade.  It  is  strange 
how  small  an  area  burns  in  that  part  of  the  country,  even  with 
a  high  wind  to  helji  the  flames.  The  weather  was  windy  and 
bitterly  cold. 

I  extract  the  following  from  my  diary  : 

'"October  lo,  evening. — I  write  this  by  the  camp-fire.  The 
men  take  it  in  turns  to  cook.  Two  armadillos  {Dasypus  niinntus) 
have  been  cau^^ht  by  the  Germans.  They  are  strong  little  beasts  ; 
you  can  hardly  pull  one,  which  has  half  buried  itself  in  the 
ground,  out  with  both  hands.  We  roast  them  whole  with  hot 
stones  and  they  taste  like  chicken.  Fritz  and  Hollesen  went 
for  the  horses  this  morning  and  found  three  of  the  Trelew  troop 
gone,  the  Tordillo,  the  Zaino,  and  the  Blanco,  and  this  although 
one  was  maneado  and  the  other  two  tied  together.  This  is  a  great 
hindrance.  We  got  the  waggon  ready  on  the  interminable  pampa 
and  decided  to  strike  down  at  once  for  the  Rio  Chico  by  way  of  a 
\2s<g'^  canadon  four  and  a  half  leagues  long.  This  will  add  some  days 
to  our  journey  to  Colohuapi,  But  if  we  continue  losing  and  search- 
ing for  horses,  shall  w^e  ever  get  there  .'*  One  day  we  cover  twenty- 
one  miles,  the  next  nothing,  because  of  strayed  horses.  Nor  can 
you  soga  them  up,  for  the  grass  is  poor  and  they  must  have  a  large 
range.  Here  we  are  in  this  huge  country  looking  for  horses  upon 
and  about  a  pampa  intersected  by  many  caiiadones,  each  of  which 
would  take  an  entire  week  to  explore  thoroughly.  At  breakfast  I 
decided  to  march,  sending  Jones,  who  is  a  good  tracker,  off  to  see 
if  he  could  find  the  horses  where  he  found  them  yesterday. 

"  We  have  a  big  buck-jumper,  a  piebald,  which  is  a  strong  horse 
suited  to  the  waooon.  It  took  an  hour  and  a  half  to  (jet  him 
harnessed,  and  we  started  on  the  back  track,  for  the  cahadon 
w^e  must  strike  lies  a  league  behind  us.  Barckhausen  was  to 
ride  an  untamed  black  horse  with  the  strangest  light  blue  glim- 
mering eyes,  which  for  some  reason  makes  me  repeat  over  and 
over  to  myself  the  lines  of  O.  : 

"  His  glittering  eyes  are  the  salt  seas'  prize. 
And  his  fingers  clutch  the  sand. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES 


41 


Rather  far  fetched,  but  so  it  always  is.  One  notices  how  much  in 
camp-Hfe  a  man  gets  into  the  habit  of  a  '  Punch,  brothers,  punch  ' 
— a  haunting  phrase  which  he  appHes  to  everything.  In  one  case 
it  is   some  grim   and  grotesque   oath   that  he   mentally  lives  on. 


Tin-:    KIG   cnKKO,    A    ULTKILMrKK 


sometimes  it  is  a  line  of  a  hymn,  sometimes  it  is  a  bit  of  an  adver- 
tisement. There  are  few  books  in  the  camp,  and  mine  not  out  yet 
from  the  tin  box.  The  Welshmen  have  a  Bible  in  their  own 
language  ;  Hollesen  heis  a  paper  of  short  stories  about  missing 
heirs  and  such  like  ;  Scrivenor  has  '  Pickwick.' 

"  But  to  return  to  Barckhausen.  The  nag  of  the  baleful  eye 
would  not  be  caught,  and  had  to  be  chased  about  the  pampa  by 
Hughes  and  myself  Finally,  Jones  got  a  lasso  on  him,  and  he 
danced  at  the  edoe  of  the  lacjoon  with  four  men  at  the  other  end  of 
the  lasso.  We  tied  his  legs  in  slip-knots  and  pulled  him  over,  and 
when  quieter  saddled  him.  He  bucked  around  with  the  saddle. 
At  length  Barckhausen  got  up  and  rode  him  the  whole  afternoon. 
It  was  a  terrible  job  driving  the  horses,  and  that  exc-n  though  wc 
were  in  the  canadon. 

"On  each  side  of  us  were  bare,  bald  grass  hills,  rolling  in 
hummocks  and   their  sides   sjirinkled   with    ihorn-scrub.       In   the 


42  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

centre,  winding  in  sharj)  bends,  a  dry  river  bed.  Towards 
evening,  after  travelling  all  the  afternoon  down  the  canadon 
since  one  o'clock,  I  rode  on  and  found  the  bed  of  the  river  held 
water  in  four  places.  Near  the  third  of  these  we  camped.  Saw 
an  ostrich  and  a  few  sentinel  ijuanaco.  Caucjht  an  armadillo. 
The  scenery  here  consists  of  alternations  of  pampa  and  cafiadoUy 
canadon  and  pampa,  and  over  all  the  tearing  wind,  which  seldom 
drops. 

"  1  have  given  out  two  tins  of  jam  and  one  of  Swiss  milk,  one  of 
coffee  and  milk  and  some  vegetables.  Sometimes  we  soak  our 
biscuit  and  bake  it.  It  is  very  good  treated  so.  I  am  writing  this 
by  the  fire  at  seven  o'clock.     Coldish. 

"  Jones  has  not  turned  up  yet,  and  must  have  had  to  sleep  out  in 
nothing  save  a  blanket,  poor  chap  !  He  was  to  have  cut  our  tracks 
and  followed  them  up. 

"  October  1 1. — All  our  tropillas  right  this  morning,  and  at  8.30 
I  rode  out  of  the  camp  and  met  Jones,  who  had  found  the  three 
strayed  horses  about  a  league  from  the  old  camp. 

"We  started  and  made  our  way  down  the  empty  river-bed, 
which  now  broadened  and  was  pebbly,  like  a  Scotch  trout-stream. 
Before  we  left  Mai  Espina  estancia  the  foreman  told  us  the  road 
down  the  canadon  was  very  clear — '  viuy  limpio'  and  only  four 
and  a  half  leagues  in  length,  but  we  have  been  in  it  two  days  and 
are  in  it  still.  About  5,  as  I  was  riding  ahead  with  the  troop  of 
horses,  I  came  upon  the  track  of  wheels  in  deep  scrub.  I  went 
back  to  the  wao-oon  and  found  it  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river-bed. 
Upon  one  side  were  thorn-bush  and  sand,  and  upon  the  other  a 
swampy  vcga  of  wet  grass.  Through  this  the  track  led,  and  into 
this  the  wao-oon  lumbered,  then  two  of  the  horses  foundered  in  the 
black  mud  and  the  waggon  sank.  Of  course  that  put  an  end  to  our 
day's  journey,  and  I  sent  on  Jones  to  bring  back  Burbury  and  the 
troop.  We  were  in  a  land  of  many  flies,  chiefly  sand-fiies,  which 
buzzed  and  stung  horribly.  Jones  had  tied  up  the  horses  on  the 
Rio  Chico  and  we  could  not  reach  them  to-night.  Fritz  found 
sixteen  eesfs  in  an  ostrich's  nest  and  Hollesen  found  one.  The 
one  was  fine  but  the  sixteen  were  chickenny. 

"We   all   turned   to,  unloaded   the   waggon   and   pulled   it   out 


THE  BA  rXLE  OF  THE  HORSES  43 

with   some   toil   from   tiie   marsh,  and   before   diniiLr   loaded  it  uj> 
again, 

"  By  evening-  we    reached  the  cahadon  of  the   Rio  Chico  and 
camped  upon  the  banks. 

"  October  12. — With  an  effort  oot  away  by  nine  o'clock.  I  rode 
on  down  the  cahadon,  as  we  had  no  meat  and  some  was  wanted. 
We  appear  to  be  now  entering-  a  good  game  country.  Saw  five 
ostriches.  I  rode  the  big  Tostado.  He  loped  lazily  across  stony 
ridges,  which  crawl  to  the  foot  of  th(^  purple  hills  that  are  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Chico.  Two  herds  of  Q^uanaco  tied  while  I  was  on 
the  horizon.  I  cantered  a  lono-  way,  it  seemed  yery  far,  oyer  the 
rolling  ridges  of  [jebble  and  thorn-bush.  Mirages  smoked  and 
danced  on  the  horizon.  I  came  at  lencjth  to  the  wao-o-on- track 
which  runs  through  the  wild  gorge  of  the  Chico,  and  is  only  used 
about  once  or  twice  a  year.  I  rode  down  this  track,  and  at  the 
side  found  a  single  ostrich  ^^^.  Shortly  after  I  sighted  the  horses, 
which  Jones  had  tied  up  here  and  there.  I  left  my  belt  and  the 
^&rt'  "^^^^  went  back  into  the  scrub  to  seek  for  that  game  which  I 
could  not  find.  Saw  one  guanaco,  but  it  had  seen  me  first,  cmd 
would  not  let  me  approach  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  Sighted  the 
horses  and  waggon  far  away  on  the  high  ground  and  rode  to  meet 
them.  Put  them  in  a  new  troop  and  got  away  again  at  one  o'clock. 
Found  that  if  I  could  not  shoot  a  guanaco  we  must  open  our 
reserve  of  tinned  meat,  and  1  did  not  wish  to  begin  upon  it  so  soon. 
Rode  on  ahead  of  the  troop  revolving  these  matters.  .M\  horse 
was  extra  lazy.  I  was  thinkinof  of  the  ostriches  I  had  observed  when 
I  saw  over  a  ridge  to  the  left  the  ears  of  a  guanaco.  There  was  a 
dry  nullah-bed  which  curved  in  beneath  the  ridge.  It  was  jiebbly 
and  sparsely  set  with  thorn.  I  lay  down  and  crawled  until  1  came 
to  some  water,  and  then  I  looked  again.  I  could  see  the  first 
guanaco,  an  old  buck,  peering  with  his  long  neck  swa\-ing.  and 
looking  at  the  Tostado  which  I  had  tied  up.  To  tie  up  \ our  horse 
in  view  is  the  most  successful  thing  you  can  do  in  this  countr\-  of 
lonof-necked  crame,  and  of  o-ame  which  is  so  often  inirsued  w  ith 
dogs  and  on  horseback.  Sometimes  the  most  ordinary  game  takes, 
from  tlic  circumstances  surrounding  its  j)ursuit.  a  reflected  interest 
not  its  own.      So   it  was   in   this   case;  nor,  indeetl.  is  the  guanaco 


44 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


always  an  easy  quarry,  in  fact  it  is  a  shy  animal  in  the  districts 
where  it  is  hunted  by  Indians.*  I  crawled  along,  just  a  thorn-bush, 
and  that  a  lean  one,  between  me  and  detection.  I  had  set  my 
hopes   on   a   low  green    l)elt    of  j)oison-scrub,  and   this   I    attained 

at  last.  From  it  I  saw  a 
foot  of  the  big  buck's 
neck  and  the  heads  and 
ears  of  six  more.  I  had 
made  up  my  mind  to 
take  a  fine  bead  shot, 
but  he  orave  me  no 
chance  of  doing  so.  I 
had  only  time  to  snap 
him  as  he  saw  me.  The 
bullet  smashed  his  neck. 
As  the  others  ran  away 
I  put  two  shots  out  of 
four  into  one,  and  killed 
it  as  it  entered  the  scrub 
of  thick,  thorny,  califate 
bushes  that  lived  hardily 
there  in  the  valley.  I 
went  on  after  shooting  the  guanaco  and  left  Fritz  and  Hughes  to 
cut  up  the  meat.  We  made  a  league  and  a  half  through  the  gorge 
of  the  Chico  when  up  came  Fritz  and  said  the  waggon  was  broken 
down  by,  so  he  explained,  a  "horse  falling  on  the  pole"  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  where  I  had  shot  the  guanaco.  This  was  a  disaster 
indeed.  Here  were  we  just  doing  a  good  march  when  this  wretched 
breakdown  occurred.  We  turned  the  troop  and  went  back  only  to 
find  the  waggon,  a  league  away,  coming  merrily  towards  us.  They 
said  it  could  go  no  farther,  but  after  repairs  it  achieved  a  league 
and  a  half  more. 

Passing  along  we  agreed  it  was  a  good  country  for  lions 
{Kc.  pnnia.  locally  called  lions).  We  encamped  beneath  a  high  cliff, 
sixty   feet   of   moss-grown  basaltic    rock   beside   the   muddy  river, 


THE    HUNTKK'S    KKXrKN 


Darwin  describes  the  guanaco  as  "generally  wild  and  extremely  wary." 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES 


45 


FJIL/S  CO.XCO/.OK  PL  M.I 


where  it  winds  through  the  marshes.     In  the  niiiht  the  doo-s  be^'-an 

to  bark,  for  a  lion  came  into  camp.      We  could  hear  it  moving  by 

the  dead  camp-fire  among  the  pots  and  pans.      Burbury  fired   his 

revolver  in   its  direction  ;  he  was   sleeping  on   the   outside  of  the 

tent.     This   morning  we  have  found   the  lion's  lair,  twentv  vards 

up  in  the  rock  above 

our   camp.     Fritz   said 

last  night,  '  And  if  you 

hear  me   cry  out,  it   is 

the   lion,    he   zomp  on 

me.' 

"  Fritz  is  very  jocu- 
lar sometimes  :  '  Aha, 
my  little  horse,  he 
zomp  !'  and  '  Mine  little 
bitch,  vou  ooand  catch 
a  pfuanaco.'  To-niixht 
he  was  roasting  an  os- 
trich   e^To-    and    it     ex- 

ploded  and  shot  him  all  over  with  yellow  yolk.     He  remarked,  '  He 
is  goot,  this  ^%%,  but  he  smell  a  bit  of  skunk.' 

"  October  13. — Mending  waggon,  no  wood.  At  ten  o'clock 
waoforon  mended  but  needed  a  rest  in  the  sun  till  the  hide  of 
cruanaco  we  had  bound  it  with  should  drv.  So  I  decided  to  take 
to-day  as  our  Sunday  and  march  to-morrow.  Burbury  is  making 
a  plum-duff.      Served  out  tobacco  this  morning. 

"  Mock  Sundav  and  at  rest,  a  time  for  dreaming.  Awav  at 
home  the  trees  are  browning.  How  one's  heart  turns  to  theni  and 
dreams  of  them  !  The  men  born  out  here  wonder  how  we  can 
look  forward  to  the  hap])iness  of  going  home,  perhaps  for  the  sight 
of  some  village  church  hidden  in  I^nglish  lanes  and  fields.  Half 
the  charm  of  this  life  we  are  living  out  here  lies  in  thinking 
of  our  return  to  the  land  that  gives  us  all  comfort  and  a  silent 
welcome  of  green  springs.  Went  out  to-day  after  the  lion  and 
found  tracks,  but  the  ground  was  too  hartl  for  following  them 
up.  He  lives  in  a  x'alley  of  grey  dead  bush.  As  we  wciii  a\\a\- 
from    the    dead     guanaco    yesterday,    a     condor    {Sarcor/ia/ft/>/iits 


46  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

gyyphus)  appeared  and  dropped  on   tlie   carcase  almost   before  we 
left  it. 

"  October  14,  Sunday. — We  o-ot  away  at  nine  o'clock  and  came 
fast.    The  miiddv  narrow  Chico  flowinij"  throui-h  a  land  which  looks 


GUANACO  HOL'NDS.   (FATHF.R  AND  MOTHER  OK  THE  AUTHOR  S  HOUND,  TOM. 


as  if  it  led  over  the  edge  of  the  world.  It  reminds  one  of  a  flowering- 
wilderness.  Last  night  we  tied  up  the  dogs,  and  dear  old  Tom 
howled  till  I  had  to  get  up  and  correct  him.  When  up  I  let  poor 
little  Lady  loose,  the  last  service  I  was  ever  destined  to  do  for  her, 
for  to-day  the  waggon  went  over  her  belly,  and  she  lies  dead  on  the 
track  a  few  leagues  back.  She  was  six  months  old,  always  cheerful, 
and  wagging  her  whip  of  a  tail,  always  up  to  the  march.  Half  an 
hour  before  she  died  I  saw  her  hunting  a  young  fox,  her  first. 
She  had  brown  eyes  and  1  had  got  fonder  of  her  than  I  knew. 
Tom  used  to  drive  her  from  her  food,  biting  her,  and  from  the 
softest  bed,  and  I  am  now  glad  to  think  I  sometimes  made  him 
give  way  to  her.  Just  before  Lady's  death,  I  shot  a  cavy 
iyDolichotis patagonica)  with  the  Mauser.      He  gave  me  a  nice  shot 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  47 

sitting  up  on  his  haunches,  near  the  track  on  the  skyHne  of  a  low- 
bare  ridge.  Yesterday  we  had  a  very  fine  puchcro  or  stew, 
pickled  eggs  given  me  by  Pedro  at  Camerones  and  two  plum-duffs 
made  with  waggon-grease  by  Burbury,  who  is  quite  a  chef  at 
plum-duff.  After  our  meal  we  had  out  the  concertina  and  found 
that  Burbury  knew  'The  Church's  One  Foundation,'  and  Jones  a 
melancholy  Welsh  hymn. 

"  The  two  best  of  my  horses  have  sore  backs. 

"  We  spent  an  hour  trying  to  get  the  waggon  up  a  steep  ridge 
100  feet  high,  and  had  to  unload  and  all  work  at  it.  Made  a  long 
seven  leagues  and  encamped  at  the  foot  of  a  ridge  with  200  yards 
of  dead  bush  between  us  and  the  yellow  Chico.  Going  very 
pebbly,  the  ground  here  and  there  burnt  up  and  arid.  It  is  always 
in  such  places  that  the  mirages  are  most  common. 

''October  15. — Got  off  8.40.  At  11  unloaded  waggon,  which 
was  in  great  danger  of  turning  over.  Scrivenor  photoed  it.  At 
2.20  waggon  horses  unfit  to  go  farther.  Camped  by  the  Chico; 
shot  a  yellow-billed  teal. 

"  October  16. — Out  of  humour  all  day,  first,  because,  I  found  one 
of  the  cameras  put  unprotected  into  the  waggon  among  the  tins  of 
potted  meat,  &c.  Wearily,  wearily  we  wend  our  way  towards  the 
blue  distant  hills  of  our  desires.  Even  as  in  life  we  wend 
towards  distant  ambitions,  and,  coming  up  to  them,  find  new  ones 
arise  upon  the  horizon  beyond,  and  so  we  travel  all  our  days,  look- 
ing longingly  ahead.  This  valley  of  the  Chico  is  a  wild  place, 
conical  hillocks  of  sand  have  now  taken  the  place  of  the  bush- 
covered  ones.  The  Chico  remains  yellow  and  winds  crreatlv. 
Purple  hills  crown  the  distance.  It  is  all  high-coloured  and  clear- 
shaded  as  in  a  picture. 

"To-day,  coming  round  a  bend  of  the  Chico  glen,  I  saw  seven 
guanaco  feeding  in  the  valley.  They  had  seen  me  and  begun  to 
move,  so  I  galloped  round  the  ridge,  and  as  I  jumped  ott  my 
horse  one  passed  and  halted  within  seventy  yards.  The  herd 
made  a  pretty  picture  standing  on  the  bare,  desert-brown  hillside 
in  the  tearing  wind.  I  clean  missed  the  buck  with  the  first 
shot,  and  only  killed  him  as  he  ran  off.  hitting  him  low  behind  the 
shoulder.      The  wliulwas  blowing  hard  today  and  full  in  our  faces. 


48  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

"A  windv  niL2"ht.  the  sand  of  the  river-bed  dri>'in(r  and  fillino;' 
everythinL;'.  Presently  we  shall  crawl  into  our  sleepinor-bags  and, 
with  our  feet  to  the  wind,  bid  any  weather  defiance.  A  pipe  is  a 
mighty  ally.  Here  am  I  in  the  little  4  ft.  tent  which  Burbury  and 
Scrivenor  have  pitched  to  sleep  in,  wrapped  in  a  poncho  a-reek 
with  the  smoke  of  Indian  camp-fires,  enjoying"  a  pipe  and  writing 
this,  and  as  it  grows  too  dark  to  write  and  the  wind  roars  and 
bellows  louder  down  the  river-bed,  I  shall  sit  here  watching  the  red 
glow  of  my  pipe  and  dreaming. 

"  Octobc}'  17,  9  d clock. — A  month  hence  from  to-day  will  be  my 
birthday.  Where  shall  we  be  ?  At  the  lake  Buenos  Aires,  I 
hope.  Several  horses  this  morning  have  sore  backs,  and  Burbury, 
excellent  fellow,  has  been  doctoring  them. 

"  How  the  face  of  this  country  changes  with  the  weather  ! 
Bleak  and  windy  even  in  warm  sunlight,  though  fine  and  bracing  ; 
in  evil  weather  it  wears  an  aspect  of  forlornness.  The  farther  you 
penetrate  into  Patagonia  the  more  its  vast  emptiness  weighs  on 
you  and  overwhelms  you. 

"  Eleven  d clock. — Where  shall  we  be  a  month  hence  ?  Where, 
indeed  ?  To-day  we  had  a  great  disappointment,  and  I  hardly  know 
how  to  write  of  it.  The  natural  difficulties  of  the  country  are  very 
great,  but  with  care,  in  spite  of  boulders  and  hard-going,  it  seemed 
as  if  I  could  get  my  waggon  up  to  the  foothills,  and  I  looked 
forward  to  bringing  back  many  specimens  in  it.  But  after  300 
and  odd  miles  of  travel  a  particularly  hummocky  valley  proved  too 
much  for  its  endurance.  When  the  horses  tried  to  move  it  this 
morning  it  broke  up  altogether,  and  here  it  lies  ! 

*'  Total  day's  march,  200  yards.  Burbury  and  Jones  have  ridden 
on  towards  Colohuapi,  where  there  are  some  pioneers'  huts,  to  try 
and  get  wood  and  bolts.  What  is  to  be  done  1  I  do  not  know.  Take 
to  cargueros?  We  could  bring  back  no  specimens  to  speak  of  in 
that  case.  One  must  wait  and  see  what  Burbury  can  get  from  the 
people  at  Colohuapi.  The  camp  is  in  a  valley  and  is  surrounded 
bv  bare  mud  cones  100  feet  in  height,  a  few  Ixishes  shiver  in  the 
throat  of  the  upper  end  of  the  gorge.  In  the  gorge  and  round  our 
camp-fire  spreads  a  growth  of  rank  lean  weed,  full  of  yellow  flowers, 
and  a  few  small  wind-polished  stones  lie  at  the  base  of  one  of  the 
ant-heaplike  hills. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  49 

"'Oh,  the  drearv,  drearv  moorland!  Oh,  the  wearv,  wearv 
shore  '  (of  the  Chico) !  I  took  my  gun  down  to  the  river  and 
shot  five  widgeon  {^Mareca  sibilatrix)  and  six  martinetas  {Calo- 
di'omas  elegans). 

"  Late  in  the  evening  Scrivenor  and  I  went  up  over  the  ridge  of 

bare  hills  rather  with  the  idea  of  shooting,  if  possible,  a  condor  we 

had   seen   poised   high    up.      Sight   at  back  came   off  Scrivenor's 

Mauser.*     W^e   went   on   and  saw  a  herd   of  guanaco,  one   much 

nearer  than  the  rest,  and  we  crawled  towards  him.     The  stones  were 

a  penance.     The  only  cover  was  thorn,  and  little  of  that  up  there 

on  the  high  pampa  above  the  valley  where  our  camp  is.     At  two 

hundred  yards   I   shot  and  hit  him,  but  he  went  on.  and  })resently 

swayed  his  neck  and  lay  down.      I  crawled  up  and  had  a  shot  at 

his   neck.      Thereafter  followed   periods  of  cantering  in  a  rickety 

way,  followed  by  periods  of  lying  down,  and  at  last  we  went  round 

over  a  rise  and  crawled  down  on  him.    I  thought  he  was  dead  but  for 

the  shadow  of  his  neck,  and  I  crawled  on  with  ])ut  one  cartridge  left 

in  my  gun.      As  I  neared  him,  up  he  got  and  I  fired  again  and  hit 

him.      He  was  growin,;  very  weak.      Scrivenor  shouted  that  he  had 

no  revolver,  and  so  here  were  we  with  only  our  knives.     I  followed 

the  guanaco  and    Scrivenor   w^ent   round.      I    was  upon   him    first 

but  my  knife  was  weak.      Scrivenor,  startled  from  his  usual  calm, 

and  with  a  shout,  leaped  at  the  guanaco  and  caught  him   round 

the  neck.      So  we  bore  him   to  earth  and  slew  him.      1    examined 

him   for  wounds   and  found  four.      Two  of  the  shots  were  \'ital. 

vet   he  had   led   us  a  chase  of  two  and  a  half  miles,   and  we  had 

to  carry  the  meat  back  to  camp.       Arrived  there,   and  preparing 

a  meal  bv  the  fire,  in  came   Burburv  and    Jones.      Thev  had  met 

a  Gaucho  trekking  to  Colohuapi,   whu   told   them   that   Colohuapi 

w^as  yet  twenty-five  leagues  away  and   that  there  were  no  bolts 

or  wood  to  be    had   there.      I    went   to  bed  and  smoked,   feelino- 

pretty  sad.     There  is  but  one  thing  to  do.     We  must  jettison  some 

of  the  cargo  and  sew  \\\\  the  rest  in  the  skins  of  guanac(xs.  and  go 

forward  with  pack-horses." 

=•■•  This  happened  in  the  case  of  two  Mausers  I  had  with  mc.     One  came  oft"  at  the 
third  shot  from  the  mere  recoil — a  serious  business. 


CHAPTER    IV 


THE    BATTLE    OF    THE    HORSES— {continued) 

First  march  with  pack-horses — Difficulties — Friendship  among  horses — The 
melancholy  Zaino — Revolt  of  an  old  philosopher — Shifting  cargoes — Reach 
River  Chico — Guanaco-shooting — A  glimpse  of  a  puma — Pumas  and  sheep — 
Arrival  at  Colohuapi — Hospitality  of  pioneers — The  value  of  horse-brands. 

Morning  (19th)  came  to  us  very  grey  with  a  pallid  sun,  and 
ushered  in  the  first  day  of  the  new  system.  We  found  it  necessary 
to  use  sixteen  horses  as  cargueros  or  pack-horses.  In  the  early 
dawn    we    caught     the   chosen    animals,    and    tied    them    up     to 

the  smashed  wa^o-on.  It  is 
"  one  of  the  inconveniences  of 
pampa  travel  that  bushes 
stronor  enough  to  hold  a  horse 
which  is  at  all  restive  are  few 
and  far  between.  In  that 
particular  spot  there  was  ab- 
solutely nothing  in  the  way 
of  a  bush,  however  small, 
which  could  by  any  chance 
have  borne  the  strain. 

So  we  tied  them  up  to  the 
waggon  and  they  immediately  proceeded  to  tie  themselves  and 
their  headropes  into  still  more  complicated  knots  :  they  made  cats' 
cradles,  reef-knots,  sliding  nooses,  a  dozen  knots  one  knew  and  a 
dozen  one  had  never  dreamed  of.  Of  the  sixteen  horses,  half  had 
never  had  a  cargo  on  their  backs  until  that  day  ;  we  had  meant  to 
break  them  in,  but  the  waggon  succumbed  too  soon  to  the  hardships 
of  the  way,  and  before  we  had  had  time  to  carry  out  our  intentions. 
During"  the  three  days  we  remained  in  campamono-  the  stronor- 


Kl,Ali\     1'- 


.    CAKCiOKU 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  51 

scented  yellow  flowers  where  the  waggon  lay,  all  hands  had  been 
hard  at  work  sewing  up  stores  into  the  skins  of  guanacos,  which  I 
had  killed  for  food  on  the  march.  The  proper  arranging  of  packs 
for  horses  is  a  very  difficult  matter  ;  shape,  size  and  weight  have 
all  to  be  considered.  Each  cargo  should  be  divided  into  three 
portions,  the  balance  of  the  two  sides  being  carefully  adjusted,  and 
the  centre  piece,  that  which  surmounts  the  pack-saddle,  should  not 
be  more  than  twelve  inches  high.  There  should  be  at  least  two 
rugs  and  a  sheepskin  underneath  the  saddle.  As  we  had  not 
enough  sheepskins,  the  pelts  of  guanaco  were  in  some  cases  made 
to  serve  our  purpose.  Several  different  forms  of  pack-saddle  have 
each  of  them  points  to  recommend  them,  but  to  niy  mind  the  form 
used  on  the  cattle-plains  of  North  America  is  preferable  to  any 
other,  and  is  more  easily  loaded,  as  the  horse  can  be  led  between 
the  two  side-packs,  which  are  hung  along  upon  hooks  attached  to 
the  wooden  frame  of  the  saddle.  The  whole  cargo  is  best  kept  in 
place  by  means  of  a  couple  of  cinches  or  girths.  This  form  of 
pack  is,  however,  but  little  used  in  the  Ari^entine  Republic.  With 
such  pack-saddles  Hahansen  and  I,  at  a  later  date,  travelled  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  during  which  it  was  not  necessary  to  stop 
more  than  once  or  twice  to  readjust  the  cargoes. 

During  the  whole  of  our  subsequent  wanderings,  the  horses 
entered  so  much  into  our  lives  that  some  descriptive  remarks 
having  regard  to  the  peculiarities  of  each  will  perhaps  not  be  out 
of  place.  Any  one  who  has  been  thrown  very  much  into  a  close 
association  with  horses  can  hardly  have  failed  to  notice  the 
extraordinary  friendships  which  these  animals  not  infrequently 
form  between  themselves. 

Among  our  troop  there  was  a  pale  bronze-coloured  horse  to 
which  the  Spanish  language  assigns  the  term  Gateado.  Ihis 
creature's  whole  life  was  spent  in  close  attendance  upon  the  largest 
horse  in  the  tropilla,  a  piebald,  called  by  us  the  Big  Overo.  The 
Big  Overo  was  a  buck-jumper,  and  when  we  wanted  to  catch  him. 
he  and  the  Gateado,  his  intimate,  were  wont  to  evade  us  together.  I  f 
we  could  catch  the  BIlt  Overo  bv  craft,  the  Gateado  was  as  orood 
as  captured  also  ;  but  if.  unluckily,  our  first  attemj)t  uj)()n  the  Big 
Overo   failed,  both  animals  made  a  point  of  charging  about  the 


MRS     TRKLEVV 


52  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

camp  and  frio-htenin^"  all  the  other  horses.  On  one  occasion, 
when  it  was  judged  well  to  give  the  Big  Ov^ero  a  lesson,  Hughes 
bolasscd  lilni  and  after  a  galloj)  of  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  he 
came   to  the  around    in   an    inextricable  tangle.*     The   Gateado 

remained  by  his  side 
and  allowed  himself  to 
be  caught  without  any 
struggle.  After  a  time 
the  intimacy  between 
these  horses  grew  to  such 
a  pitch  that  we  gradually 
dispensed  with  a  rope  for 
the  Gateado,  knowing 
that  if  the  Big  Overo  was 
once  tied  up  his  friend 
would  stand  beside  him 
and  allow  us  to  put  on  his 
cargo  quietly.  This  odd 
friendship  finally  reached  such  an  extreme  that  when  the  Big 
Overo  was  sogaed  out  for  the  night,  the  Gateado  was  in  the  habit 
of  giving  up  his  hours  of  feeding  in  order  to  satisfy  the  claims  of 
friendship.  The  feeling  was  mutual,  for  the  Big  Overo  manifested 
almost  as  many  proofs  of  his  preference. 

Another  case  of  friendship  was  struck  up  between  two  of  the 
viadi'inas,  but  this  was  an  essentially  feminine  affection,  all  upon 
one  side.  The  Rosada  would  follow  the  Trelew  mare,  who  was  in 
foal,  and  would  hardly  allow  her  to  feed  in  peace.  Mrs.  Trelew, 
as  the  men  nicknamed  the  round-barrelled  old  black  mare, 
objected  very  strongly  to  the  advances  of  her  admirer,  and  once 
they  had  a  regular  (juarrel  owing  to  Mrs.  Trelew  kicking  the 
Rosada  with  such  force  as  to  nearly  break  her  ribs,  which  the 
latter  rather  resented.  The  Rosada  was  a  vicious  unbacked  brute 
within  five  yards  of  whose  heels  it  was  unsafe  to  approach,  and 
she,  in  common  with  the  long-maned  Little  Zaino,  acquired  the 
execrable  habit  of  attempting  to   kick  any  one  who  on  horseback 

='=  Except  in  very  rare  cases  the  bokadovcs  should  not  be  used  to  catch  horses.     For 
a  kicking  animal  they  are,  however,  a  good  corrective. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  S3 

ventured  to  come  near.  This  is  ;i  trick  that  is  \ery  rare  even 
amono-  the  most  untamable  and  vicious  horses,  which,  although 
they  will  kick  a  man  on  foot,  will  seldom  do  so  when  he  is 
mounted. 

Then  there  was  the  Old  Zaino,  a  melancholy  animal  of  the 
sardonic  school.  He  was  the  worst  of  all  the  horses.  1  remcmher 
once  Burbury  making  me  laugh  very 
much  by  saying  in  a  moment  of 
indicrnation  :  "  You  haven't  been  a 
colt  these  thirty  years,  you  ever- 
green son  of  a  buckjumper  !  "  This 
horse  had  a  way  of  coming  to  stand- 
still in  the  very  centre  of  the  troop 
on  the  march,  and,  after  regarding 
us  with  a  patient  but  baleful  eye,  he  yegua  rosada 

would   solemnly  buck  all  his  cargo 

off  and  attempt  to  kick  it  to  pieces.  At  one  time  he  was  used  as 
a  riding-horse,  having,  indeed,  a  turn  for  speed,  but  his  paces 
were  so  rough  and  his  trick  of  rearing  as  one  was  mounting  so 
uncomfortable  that  we  were  compelled  to  make  him  one  of  the 
car£-ueros. 

But  perhaps  the  horse  that  caused  us  the  most  amusement  was 
the  Asulejo.  He  was  a  sort  of  uncertain  dapple-grey  in  colour, 
and  to  look  at  him  you  would  say  that  a  more  quiet,  lazy,  say- 
nothing-to-anybody  little  bit  of  old  age  did  not  crop  the  grass  in 
Patagonia.  Often  and  often  did  we  feel  sorry  for  that  little  animal 
and  lighten  his  load.  One  afternoon,  as  we  came  along  with  the 
waiTQ-on,  he  seemed  to  be  thinkino-  more  and  more  of  the  past,  ot 
the  time  when  he  had  the  power  to  make  his  riders  sit  tight  and 
used  to  be  a  creature  of  some  truculence.  He  had  upon  his  back 
a  light  cargo  of  cooking-pots,  and  it  took  the  undixided  attention 
of  one  man  to  keep  him  at  a  walk.  We  fixed  our  cAmp  ujioii  an 
open  plateau  of  coarse  grass  and  thorn  beside  a  lagoon  in  a  shallow 
hollow.  The  cargoes  were  pulled  off  and  the  cook  ot  the  night 
made  a  grateful  smoke  ascend.  I  took  a  shot-gun  and  went  after 
some  eeese  for  the  morrow's  breakfast.  It  \Nas,  perhai)s.  an  hour 
and  .1  half  later,  antl  a  good  league  from  camp,  that    I    lu-ard  the 


54 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


neighing  of  horses,  and  was  surprised  to  see  seventeen  of  our 
troop  hurrying  off,  as  it  were,  upon  some  unl^nown  errand.  And 
well  in  front  of  them — could  I  believe  my  eyes  ? — was  the  horse  we 
knew  as  the  Asulejo.  hut  his  eye  was  brighter  and  he  neighed  in 


THE    AM.  l.KJU 


the  joy  of  his  heart  as  he  trotted  friskily  along !  He  was  the 
obvious  leader  of  the  revolt.  No  sooner  did  he  see  me  than  he 
fell  behind,  trying  to  look  as  though  one  of  the  younger  animals 
had  lured  him  from  the  path  of  duty,  but  that  pretence  did  not 
serve,  and  after  driving  him  back  into  camp  we  put  vianeas  on 
him,  upon  which  he  recognised  with  the  philosophy  of  age  that  he 
could  not  fight  against  the  inevitable,  and  so  retired  into  the  lee  of 
a  thorn-bush,  where  he  lay  down  to  dream,  no  doubt,  of  the  days 
when  things  were  different  and  he  had  been  a  scampering  three- 
year-old  on  the  banks  of  the  River  Negro. 

However,  to  return  to  our  journey,  and  our  earliest  attempt 
at  marchine  without  a  waoxron.  It  was  first  and  last  one  of  the 
most  trying  days  that  we  experienced.  To  begin  with,  the  eight 
fairly  well-behaved  horses  were  cargoed  up,  and  then  the  wild  ones 
were  taken  in  hand.  The  first  of  these  happened  to  be  the 
Gateado.      His  load  was  flour  and  tinned  beef.      He  allowed  him- 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  S5 

self  to  be  saddled  up  with  no  more  than  the  usual  accompaniment 
of  blowing"  and  snortingf.  He  even  suffered  his  cartro  to  be  sluno- 
and  the  noose  to  be  slipped  along-  the  cztic/i  until  it  was  in  place. 

Every  horse  needs  two  men  to  put  on  his  cargo.  One  ties  the 
knot  and  hauls  while  the  other  takes  in  the  slack.  The  latter  has 
to  hold  up  his  side  of  the  cargo  with  his  shoulder,  and  to  do  this 
must  get  pretty  nearly  under  the  animal. 

In  our  case,  although  we  jettisoned  a  portion  of  our  belongings — 
including,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  a  number  of  birds  which  I  had  spent 
my  evenings  in  skinning,  and  which  1  truly  grieved  to  leave 
behind — some  of  the  packs  were  of  necessity  rather  unwieldy. 
This,  indeed,  is  almost  always  the  case  during  the  earlier  stages 
of  any  expedition. 

The  behaviour  of  the  Galeado  was  similar  to  that  of  many  of 
the  cargueros.  He  waited  until  his  man  was  well  under,  and  then 
he  came  into  action  with  a  series  of  diabolically  well-aimed,  one- 
legged  kicks.  Having  after  a  little  got  rid  of  us  by  this  means, 
he  went  on  to  buck  all  his  cargo  off,  and  then  stood  with  his  saddle 
cork-screwed  round  under  his  belly.  Jones  held  on  to  tin-  head- 
rope,  or  no  doubt  the  Gateado  would  have  completed  his  perform- 
ance bv  clearintr  off  into  the  low  hills  or  hummocks  which  sur- 
rounded  the  place. 

Most  of  the  others  were,  in  their  separate  ways,  as  bad  as  the 
Gateado.  Some  bucked,  some  reared,  some  would  not  be 
approached,  but  all  agreed  in  one  thing — all,  when  cargoed  up  and 
ready  for  the  start,  solemnly  lay  down  and  rolled  on  their  cargoes. 
If  they  got  them  loose,  the  wretched  animals  rose  again  and  bucked 
them  within  reach  of  their  heels,  after  which  they  extricated  them- 
selves by  kicking. 

That  morning  was,  indeed,  a  study  of  shifting  cargoes.  They 
came  off  all  ways,  bucked  off,  kicked  off,  rolled  on.  Some  stuck 
out  to  port  of  the  horse  and  some  to  starboard,  a  few  hung  dis- 
consolately beneath  the  cargue^'ds  body.  Again  and  again  we  did 
our  part,  and  again  and  again  the  horses  defeated  us  by  their 
horrible  tricks  of  lying  down  and  rolling.  Meantime  the  sun  had 
risen,  and  heat  and  flies  were  added  lo  the  long  tally  ot  ^\^v  day's 
disagreeable  items.       A  very  hea\\'  wind  was  also  Mowing,  which 


,v..rj? 


I  /''  ■   // 


I. 


V 


ivu! 


.-) 


''fj  . 


4 


made  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  place  the  saddle-cloths  upon  the 
horses'  backs.  I  have  often  noticed  that,  when  saddling  up  a  colt 
or  wild  horse,  it  is  well  to  make  use  each  day  of  the  same  saddle- 
cloths, as  he  grows  used  to  these,  and  does  not  fear  them,  espe- 
cially if  you  allow  him  to  bite  and  smell  them. 

At  length,  however,  shordy  after  midday  the  horses  began  to 
get  worn  out.  The  cargoed  ones  ceased  to  struggle  and  lay  still, 
tongues  out,  fat-barrelled,  like  a  troop  on  a  battle-field,  humped 
with  cargo  and  grotesquely  dead.  In  the  fighting-line,  I  remember, 
remained  only  a  horse  named  Horqueta  (the  slit-eared),  and  the 
indefatigable  Gateado.  Horqueta's  cargo  consisted  of  a  pair  of 
tin  boxes,  for,  bucking  apart,  he  was  a  fairly  steady  pack-horse. 
He  and  the  Gateado  were  the  last  to  be  finished,  the  others  having 
yielded  after  the  long  struggle  of  the  forenoon. 

All  would  now  have  orone  well  had  it  not  been  for  the  fact  that 
the  handles  of  one  of  the  tin  boxes  upon   Horqueta  were  loose. 

56 


'■'..r:-- 


.V. 


J> 


/;sm 


i 


The  moment  we  let  him  go  he  began  to  buck  and  the  unkicky 
handles  to  beat  a  devil's  tattoo  upon  the  body  of  the  tin  box.  He 
made  off  into  the  troop  of  cargoed  horses,  and  the  noise  he  brought 
with  him  proved  too  much  for  their  nerves.  They  scrambled  up 
to  their  feet  and  four  of  them  broke  away  in  different  directions. 
Five  minutes  later  we  surveyed  once  more  a  scene  of  scattered 
cartridges,  flour,  oatmeal,  sacks  of  beans,  clothes,  skins  bumped 
out  with  tinned  provisions,  and  I  don't  know  what  else.  I  hey  lay 
in  confusion  amoniif  the  tjrass  and  bushes  in  the  vallev,  and  up 
and  down  the  slopes  of  the  conical  mud  hills.  The  Germans  were 
reduced  to  inarticulate  oaths,  and  the  Welshmen  looked  out  of 
heart. 

I)ut  to  camp  upon  a  failure  is  the  worst  ot  business  and  ot 
policy,  and  so  the  men  were  laughed  into  a  gootl  humour,  and  we 
all  went  at  it  once  more,  the  ammunition  and  our  other  goods  were 
collected  and  the  cargoes  were  fixed  \\\)  \  et  again. 

57 


58  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

It  was  ten  minutes  past  three  o'clock  by  my  watch  when  we 
rode  slowly  up  the  cliff  that  lay  between  Wag-gon  Camp  and  the 
River  Chico  of  Chubut.  We  reached  the  top  without  mishap, 
chiefly,  I  think,  because  the  horses  were  now  fairly  exhausted 
with  their  exertions.  At  the  top  of  the  rise  we  stopped  and 
looked  back  ;  our  broken  waggon  lay  dark  and  low  among 
the  coarse  yellow  weeds,  the  afternoon  sun,  still  warm,  beat 
upon  the  baldhills,  and  that  was  the  last  we  saw  of  our  unlucky 
camp. 

The  procession  moved  slowly  on,  and  we  did  not  rest  until 
twilight,  by  which  time  we  had  travelled  between  twelve  and 
thirteen  miles.  Our  march  now  lay  along  the  banks  of  the  Chico. 
The  going  was  soft,  and  more  bushes  began  to  appear  on  the  land- 
scape. That  night  we  celebrated  our  first  carguero  journey  by 
serving  out  cocoa  for  all  hands. 

The  night  we  struck  the  River  Chico  was  a  very  cold  one,  the 
temperature  falling  12^  below  freezing-point.  These  figures, 
however,  give  no  idea  of  the  cold,  as  one  of  the  characteristics  of 
Patagonia  is  the  prevalence  of  tremendous  winds.  And  when 
these  blow  from  the  direction  of  the  Cordillera,  they  bring  with 
them  chilly  memories  of  the  snows  over  which  they  have  passed. 
Wind,  of  course,  increased  the  rigours  of  the  cold,  and  I  remember 
that  during  the  night  on  which  we  felt  the  cold  most  severely  the 
temperature  did  not  fall  below  35°. 

The  next  morning  we  got  off  about  10.30,  having  less  trouble 
with  the  cargtieros.  I  went  on  in  front  to  choose  our  way,  which 
here  passed  over  very  bad  ground. 

At  the  midday  halt  it  was  found  that  only  part  of  a  haunch  of 
guanaco  had  been  brought  on  from  the  last  camp.  I  therefore 
galloped  on  ahead  with  a  shot-gun  and  shot  thirteen  ducks,  of 
which  only  six  came  to  hand,  as  several  fell  among  the  reeds  in  the 
marshes  which  fringe  the  river.  Of  these  six  ducks,  four  were 
brown  pintails  [Da/ila  spinicaiidd)  and  two  were  Chiloe  widgeon 
{Mareca  sibilatrix).  In  the  afternoon  I  exchanged  the  shot-gun 
for  the  rifle,  as  a  few  more  guanaco-skins  would  be  very  handy  for 
various  purposes  and  meat  was  wanted.  About  four  o'clock,  when 
riding"  behind  the  troop,  I  saw  a  guanaco  among  the  hills   to  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  59 

east.      I   was  fortunately  mounted  upon  the  Cruzado,  who  had  by 

this  time  learned  to  stand  to  shot  and  to  remain  standing- when  his 

reins   were  dropped  over  his  head.      He  was   infinitely  the  best 

shooting-horse  in  the  troop,  and 

I  used  always  to  ride  him  when 

game     was     wanted,     although, 

owinof  to  his  beincr  a  lars^e  horse, 

his    canter    was    not    suited    to 

riding  behind  the  tropilla.      He 

had  come  to  us  with  a  very  bad 

name  for  throwing  himself  back,    |^^i^»5^j^^^fii\j  '  m 

which    is    one    of    the    nastiest    llR«B^^|BSi|^||  U 

tricks  a  horse  can  possess.      But      '    '^         T     WTT   H  **   — 

this  he   soon   gave   up,  and  ex-        >t^'^     ■^^-C?li>^^'^J>. 

cept  that    he    always    remained 

rather    hard    to     catch     in     the 

mornings,  was   what  an   adver- 

11  11       i(  ..1  11  THK    author's   two    BKST    H0K.->E»,    THE   CRL'ZADO 

tiser  would   call       a  thoroughly  ..-,.„,,... 

o         J  AND    ALA/AN 

confidential  horse."     I   am  glad 

to  think   that  when  I  left   Patagonia  he  became  the  property  of 

Burbury. 

The  Cruzado  seemed  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  chase,  and 
in  the  present  instance  went  off  at  a  fast  canter  towards  the  hills. 
The  guanaco  had  moved  from  his  point  of  vantage  upon  the  top  of 
a  conical  hill  of  mud,  and  had  probably,  according  to  the  custom  of 
these  animals,  sought  another  eminence.  I  thought  he  had  seen  me, 
in  which  case  he  would  at  once  have  made  for  the  highest  point 
within  reach,  but,  as  I  came  into  the  throat  of  the  gorge  where  there 
were  some  mud  hills,  I  saw  him  again  upon  the  side  of  a  large 
hummock  one  hundred  feet  or  so  in  heiirht.  I  immediately  tied  up 
mv  horse. 

The  guanacos  of  the  valley  of  the  Chico  were  very  wild  owing 
to  the  fact  that  the  Tehuelche  Indians  hunt  them  ihere  during  the 
months  of  October  and  November.  This  valley  was  once  celebrated 
for  the  abundance  of  its  game,  but  of  recent  years  the  herds  seem 
to  have  moved  westwards  and  northwards.  This  *'uanaco  was  the 
first  we  had  seen  that  day. 


6o  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

I  crawled  up  the  hill,  sinkinor  to  my  knees  at  every  step  into 
the  dry  mud.  When  half-way  up  I  saw  the  ears  of  the  guanaco 
appear  against  the  sky-line.  I  lay  down,  and  he  remained  still  and 
utterly  unconscious  of  my  presence  for  some  minutes.  He  was 
watching  my  companions,  who,  with  the  horses,  were  moving  off 
into  dimness  down  the  valley.  Presently  he  ran  forward  one  or 
two  steps  and  gave  out  his  high-pitched  neighing  laugh  in  a  sort  of 
strange  defiance  at  our  retreating  troop.  He  was  a  very  old  buck 
with  dark  markings  on  his  face.  He  was  about  fifty  yards  away, 
and  when  I  fired  he  reared  and  fell  backwards.  I  threw  out  the 
cartridge,  and  at  the  same  instant  seven  guanacos,  startled  by  the 
report,  dashed  across  the  valley  and  galloped  along  parallel  to 
me  on  the  other  side  of  the  cahadon  at  about  one  hundred  yards 
distance.  I  fired  at  the  second  one  because  it  looked  fat,  and 
brought  it  to  the  crround.  The  ouanacos  now  turned  in  great 
affright  and  raced  past  me  aqain,  when  I  dropped  two  more. 
This  brought  them  to  a  standstill,  as  they  had  not  yet  made 
out  where  the  shots  were  coming  from,  and  no  doubt  I  might 
have  been  able  to  shoot  the  entire  herd,  but  we  had  now 
enough  skins.  When  I  rose  the  remaining  four  sprang  down 
into  the  valley  and  disappeared  up  the  opposite  barranca. 

I  now  went  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  I  had  fired  at  the  old 
buck,  and  found  that  the  bullet  had  broken  his  neck.  He  was,  as 
I  had  surmised,  a  very  old  animal,  and  bore  upon  him  traces  of  an 
encounter  with  a  puma.  The  skin  of  his  neck  was  immensely 
thick  and  his  teeth  were  worn  down.  One  of  the  other  guanacos, 
which  had  fallen  upon  the  far  side  of  the  valley,  proved  to  be 
a  year-old  doe,  so  it  was  unnecessary  to  take  any  of  the  meat 
of  the  buck.  I  now  signalled,  and  Bur  bury  soon  joined  me  to  help 
in  cutting  up. 

When  we  overtook  the  horses  we  found  that  the  hounds,  Tom 
and  Bian  had  killed  a  cavy  iyDolichotis  patagonicd),  so  that  we  hcicl 
a  good  stock  of  meat.  The  cavy  is  excellent  eating,  resembling 
English  hare.  I  was  told  that  Tom  had  not  covered  himself  with 
glory,  for,  although  he  proved  himself  very  fast,  and  turned  the 
hare,  it  was  Bian  that  killed  it.  Bian  was  a  rough,  yellow  lurcher, 
who  stood  the  rough  ground  and  hard  experiences  of  our  journey 


r      V-  1  '3  h'  :\  r    ^ 
»  '  »-  n  C3  /  f  y 


V. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  6i 

very  much  better  than  Tom,  although  the  latter  was  a  well-bred 
hound  with  a  pedigree  to  back  his  pretensions.  Bian  belonged  to 
young  Jones. 

During  the  day  we  observed  enormous  flocks  of  Chilian  widgeon 
(Mareca  sibilatrix)  as  well  as  some  grey  teal  {Qucrqiiedula 
versicolor). 

On  October  22,  as  we  had  expected,  we  arrived  at  Colohuapi, 
the  farthest  settlement  in  the  heart  of  Patagonia.  Near  by  lie 
twin  lakes  Colhue  and  Musters.  About  one  o'clock,  coming  over  a 
rise,  we  saw  the  Lake.  As  the  sun  was  shining  it  was  very  blue, 
and  upon  the  far  side  rose  the  hills,  llie  mournful  whistle  of 
waterfowl  in  countless  flocks  was  to  be  heard.  A  breeze  from  the 
north-west  was  blowing  across  the  lake,  and  there  was  that  peculiar 
wet  smell  in  the  wind  which  can  only  be  derived  from  a  passage 
across  wide  waters. 

This  day  the  Gateado  bucked  off  his  cargo  of  tinned  meats  and 
was  unfortunate  enough  to  give  himself  a  deep  wound  in  the 
pastern.  Jones  tied  it  up  with  his  handkerchief,  and  the  horse  was 
so  lame  that  we  thought  it  would  be  necessary  to  leave  him  behind 
at  Colohuapi.  As  it  turned  out,  however,  being  of  a  very  strong 
constitution,  he  improved  rapidly,  and  was  with  us  to  the  very  end 
of  our  journeyings. 

Our  march  on  this  occasion  was  upwards  of  twenty-seven  miles, 
and  at  the  end  of  it  I  rode  ahead  to  choose  a  place  for  a  camp. 
Earlier  in  the  day  Burbury,  who  was  riding  the  Colorado,  a  half- 
broken  colt  that  had  had  only  a  few  gallops,  got  into  difficulties,  and 
I  relieved  him  of  a  bag  which  he  was  carrying.  I  had  tied  this  bag 
to  my  saddle,  but  just  before  we  camped  it  came  loose,  and,  thinking 
I  was  not  going  to  have  any  other  chance  of  shooting,  I  slung  it 
over  my  rifle,  which  I  was  carrying  across  my  shoulder  as  usual 
in  a  sling.  I  had  chosen  a  valley  to  camp  in  and  turned  round  to 
jog  quietly  back  to  meet  the  troop,  when  with  the  tail  of  my  eye 
I  cauo'ht  sisfht  of  an  animal  which  1  thouLiht  was  Tom,  but  it 
looked  too  large,  and  I  turned  my  head  to  see  it  more  fully. 
There,  fifteen  yards  behind  my  horse,  staring  at  me,  switching 
its  tail  slowly  from  side  to  side,  and  standing  full  up,  was  a  tine 
male  puma(/'".  concolor).      I  rolled  off  my  horse,  which.  lortunaieK-. 


62  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

had  neither  seen  nor  winded  the  puma,  and  began  to  unsHng  my 
rifle.  In  the  middle  of  the  operation,  when  I  already  had  the 
hindering  bag  upon  the  ground,  the  puma,  which  up  to  that  moment 
had  continued  to  lash  its  tail  and  stare  at  me,  turned  round  and 
loped  off  at  the  cumbrous  and  uncouth  canter  habitual  to  these 
animals.  At  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  it  stopped  for  an  instant, 
but  was  off  again  at  once.  I  attempted  to  mount  my  horse  with 
the  idea  of  galloping  down  the  puma,  an  easy  thing  to  do,  as 
these  animals  never  run  far,  and  are  readily  blown,  but  the  horse, 
which  happened  to  be  a  mule- footed  oscui'o,  known  as  Mula, 
became  quite  unmanageable.  I  at  once  coo-ed  and  was  joined  by 
young  Humphrey  Jones,  who  in  eighteen  years'  residence  in  Pata- 
o-onia  had  never  seen  a  puma,  and  as  he  had  strong  sporting 
instincts,  was  extremely  anxious  to  encounter  one.  We  followed 
the  track  of  the  lion — as  the  puma  is  locally  called — but  after 
topping  the  hill  it  led  along  a  bare  slope  and  was  lost  in  a  clump  of 
hioh  dry  bush,  where  it  w^as  quite  hopeless  to  find  the  creature. 
We  rode  back  into  camp  very  disappointed. 

Just  as  Mr.  Selous  remarks  that  hunters  sometimes  spend  years 
in  Africa  before  they  come  upon  their  first  lion,  so  many  a  man  is 
as  lono-  in  Patao^onia  before  he  comes  across  his  first  puma.  The 
puma  is  a  very  furtive  and  cowardly  animal,  and  though  we  saw  so 
few  during  our  months  of  travel,  I  have  no  doubt  that  many  a 
puma  watched  our  troop  passing  across  the  pampa  from  the 
safe  cover  of  rocks  and  bushes.  Seeing  or  not  seeing  pumas  is 
purely  a  matter  of  luck,  and  the  tales  concerning  pumas  having 
attacked  men,  which  abound  in  the  country,  are  generally  fabri- 
cations. A  puma  with  young  will  attack  man  if  he  stumbles  upon 
her  and  her  family,  and  my  friend  Mr.  Waag  told  me  that  on 
one  occasion-  a  puma  in  the  Cordillera  had  shown  evident  signs 
of  attack.  In  the  majority  of  cases,  even  when  wounded,  the 
puma  will  only  snarl  and  spit,  and  the  Indians,  as  well  as  the 
Gauchos,  despatch  it  with  the  tolas. 

The  puma  is  a  terrible  foe  to  the  sheep-farmer,  levying  heavy 
toll  upon  flocks,  and  often  enjoys  a  long  career  of  sheep-killing 
before  strychnine  or  the  bullet  puts  an  end  to  its  existence. 

The  snow  is  directly  responsible  for  the  death  of  a  great  many 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  63 

pumas,  for  when  it  is  lying  on  the  ground  the  animals  can  easily 
be  tracked.  At  this  season  the  shepherds  o{  \.\\{iesla)icias  near  the 
coast  attempt  to  clear  the  ground  of  their  very  unwelcome 
visitors,  the  weapon  most  commonly  used  being  the  .450  revolver, 
and  the  shot  is  often  taken  at  a  distance  of  less  than  ten  paces. 
The  puma  is  very  easy  to  kill,  especially  if  the  first  shot  is  well 
placed.  It  is  the  first  shock  which  tells  in  the  case  of  these 
animals. 

Great  sport  could,  no  doubt,  be  had  with  the  puma  were  he 
hunted  with  a  pack  of  dogs  that  would  bay  him  and  distract  his 
attention.  The  average  hound  of  the  country  is,  however,  far  too 
wise  to  pit  himself  against  such  an  animal,  and  will  often  even 
refuse  to  acknowledge  the  scent. 

That  night  the  lake,  as  seen  from  the  camp,  was  wonderfully 
beautiful.  The  waters  were  leaden-grey  bounded  by  faint  blue 
hills,  with  soft  mists  of  an  unearthly  green  clinging  about  them. 
The  only  sounds  to  be  heard  were  the  wash  of  the  ripple  on  the 
shore  and  plashing  of  wildfowl. 

On  October  23  we  made  as  early  a  start  as  possible,  and 
pursued  our  way  over  very  level  pampa,  which  had  not  yet  been 
hardened  by  the  sun  of  spring.  We  put  up  an  ostrich  [R/iea 
darwini)  from  his  nest,  and  found  three  eggs.  Presently  there 
appeared  in  the  centre  of  the  pampa,  ahead  of  us,  three  little  huts 
of  earth  and  three  black  cattle.  Save  for  one  eoree  through 
which  the  River  Senguerr  figws,  and  through  which  we  afterwards 
took  our  way,  a  perfect  circle  of  hills  of  greatly  varying  heights 
surrounded  the  small  settlement.  The  huts  belonged  to  a  Welsh- 
man named  William  Jones,  who,  with  his  wife  and  six  children,  had 
trekked  out  here  some  six  or  eight  months  previously. 

One  of  the  three  huts,  which  was  untenanted,  Mr.  Junes  put 
at  our  disposal,  and  after  taking  off  the  cargoes,  Burbury  and 
Scrivenor  accompanied  me  across  to  William  Jones' home.  Mrs. 
Jones  received' us  with  hospitality  and  treated  us  to  mati'\\\\\\  milk, 
tea  and  scones,  and  we  got  a  sight  of  ourselves  in  the  looking- 
glass.  The  wind  of  the  pampas  had  removed  all  the  skin  from  our 
faces,  and  we  were  a  ijood  deal  unlike  the  intlividuals  who  h.id 
started  trcMii  Trclew  some  four  or  live  weeks  before. 


64 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


That  night  the  men  slept  inside  the  hut,  but  it  was  too  warm 
for  my  sleeping-bag,  so  I  took  up  my  bed  and  went  out,  passing 
the  night  on  the  lee  side  of  the  hut.       Perhaps  what  delio^hted  us 


SETTI.KMKNT   OK  COI.OHUAPI 


most  was  the  fact  that  in  the  shelter  of  the  hut  we  were  able  to 
smoke  our  pipes  in  peace,  safe  from  the  buffeting  of  the  wind. 

At  dawn  Mrs.  Jones  kindly  sent  her  children  over  with  a  pail 
of  milk.  It  would  be  impossible  to  imagine  any  more  healthy 
specimens  of  the  Welsh  race  than  these  sun-kissed,  clear-eyed 
youngsters.  Ruddy  and  brown  and  strong,  the  air  of  the  wilder- 
ness had  need  of  no  better  proof  of  its  splendid  health-giving 
qualities.  I  gave  the  children  chocolate  from  our  store,  a  luxury  to 
which  they  were  not  accustomed,  and  which  they  enjoyed  immensely. 

William  Jones  had  brought  his  wife  and  family  to  Colohuapi  in 
a  wasfoon,  following-  the  banks  of  the  River  Chico  from  Trelew. 
His  journey  had,  however,  been  made  late  in  the  year,  when  the 
marshes  were  dry,  and  his  waggon  had  been  more  suited  to  the 
hardships  of  the  way  than  was  ours. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  HORSES  65 

Two  other  Welshmen  with  their  wives  lived  higher  up  the 
valley,  and  the  full  strength  of  the  colony  was  made  up  by  a 
Swede  named  Oscar,  who  acted  as  comisario,  and  an  Argentine 
who  had  settled  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  To  the  last-named 
gentleman  Burbury  paid  a  visit  on  the  following  day. 

Now  set  in  another  era  of  preparation.  We  purchased  sheep- 
skins and  laid  in  a  stock  of  mutton,  and  on  the  25th  once  more 
made  a  start.  Before  taking  leave  of  Colohuapi  I  should  like  to 
record  my  appreciation  of  the  great  kindness  which  the  settlers 
there  extended  to  us  especially  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Jones,  the 
latter  of  whom  was  thoughtful  enough  to  l3ake  us  a  large  loaf  to 
speed  us  on  our  way.  On  the  eve  of  our  departure  we  gave  a 
small  dinner,  at  which  the  iiienu  was  as  follows  :  Mutton  piuhero, 
made  with  desiccated  potatoes  and  cabbage  ;  stewed  apple-rings 
and  milk  ;  lime-juice  tablets  ;  chocolate  food  ;  and  two  tins  of 
sardines.  I  was  very  sorry  not  to  be  able  to  add  a  bowl  of  punch 
to  the  feast,  but  the  fact  was  I  had  with  me  but  three  bottles 
of  brandy,  and  those  for  purely  medicinal  purposes. 

The  country  round  about  Colohuapi  is  very  suited  for  cattle- 
breeding,  but,  of  course,  the  chief  difficulty  encountered  by  the 
colonists  are  those  connected  with  transporting  their  produce  to 
the  market,  as  the  district  is  not  yet  in  any  way  opened  up.  But 
I  hope  and  believe  that  a  prosperous  future  lies  before  the  young 
settlement,  and  much  of  the  good  to  come  should  certainly  fall  to 
the  lot  of  the  Welshmen  William  and  Walter  Jones,  whose  pioneer 
efforts  deserve  great  reward.  At  present  it  is  a  hard  life  that  the 
colonists  are  obliged  to  lead,  divided  as  they  are  by  more  than  a 
coujjje  of  hundred  miles  from  their  nearest  white  neighbours.  One 
could  not  help  being  struck  by  the  solitary  aspect  of  the  two  or 
three  small  huts,  set  as  they  are  at  present  on  the  edge  of  the  hill- 
encircled  empty  plain. 

Just  as  we  were  off  from  Colohuapi,  the  couiisano  rode  up  antl 
proceeded  to  make  the  necessary  examination  ot  our  horses.  In 
this  connection  very  strict  laws  obtain  throughout  the  northern 
provinces  of  the  Argentine  l\c-j)ublic.  In  a  cc.unlry  where  liorse- 
breeding  is  carried  on  upon  so  extensive  a  scale,  and  where, 
besides,   the  animals  are  allowed  to  wander  frctly  upon   ihr  wide 


66  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

spaces  of  the  pampas,  a  strong  check  must  be  placed  upon  any 
infringement  of  the  law  of  property.  A  strict  system  of  registra- 
tion and  surv^eillance  as  to  brands  upon  horses  must  be  kept  in 
force,  and  is,  in  fact,  one  of  the  first  steps  towards  security. 

The  brand,  which  I  had  registered  in  Trelew,  and  which  was 
invented  by  Burbury,  represented  the  rising  sun.  It  was  an 
excellent  brand,  as  it  had  not  much  "fire"  about  it,  and  was  very 
different  to  any  other  mark  we  came  across.  Another  point  to  be 
considered  in  choosing  it  was  that  it  would  be  a  difficult  one  to 
fake.  Our  branding  took  place  at  Bahia  Camerones,  Mr.  Green- 
shields  being  good  enough  to  allow  us  to  use  his  corral  for  the 
purpose.  Our  half-wild  horses  did  not  permit  us  to  operate  upon 
them  without  a  struggle.  A  few  days  after  the  operation  the 
burns  caused  by  the  iron  had  quite  healed. 


OUK    BKAMj 


CHAPTER    V 

THE    RIVER    VALLEYS 

Arbitrary  distribution  of  animals  in  Patagonia — Trouble  with  Gauchos — 
Indian  guide — Germans  turned  back — Cahcuion  of  River  Senguerr — Bad 
weather — Old  Zaino  again  causes  damage — Loss  of  clothes,  ammunition,  &c., 
in  the  river — Shooting  upland  geese — River  Mayo — Hailstorm — A  day's  sport 
in  Patagonia — Shooting  a  wild  cow — Was  it  a  wild  cow? — Musters'  account  of 
wild  cattle — First  meeting  with  Tehuelche  Indians. 

In  consequence  of  the  visit  of  the  r^ww^r/o' we  were' somewhat 
late  in  starting  from  Colohuapi,  but  nevertheless  made  a  good 
march  of  about  fifteen  miles,  and  camped  in  the  valley,  after 
driving  the  two  horses  past  a  bend  of  the  river  that  would 
prevent  them  from  attempting  to  break  back  towards  their  pasture 
at  Colohuapi.  The  day  was  very  warm  indeed  and  the  night 
rather  cold,  the  thermometer  at  midday  and  at  night  being 
respectively  74*"  F.  and  ^^^j"  F. 

We  were   now  upon    the    banks   of   the    River   Senguerr,  the 
Senguel  of  Captain  Musters. 

The  extraordinary  tameness  of  the  upland  geese  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Colohuapi  was  very  remarkable  ;  they  allowed  one  to 
approach  within  eighty  yards  before  bestirring  themselves.  Alter 
the  first  day's  march  beyond  Colohuapi  we  never  saw  again  any 
specimen  of  the  Patagonian  cavy  (Dolic/ioiis patagonica),  although 
round  the  shores  of  the  lakes  Musters  and  Colhue  these  animals 
abound.  It  is  strange  that  the  habitat  of  the  cavy  should  be  .so 
sharply  defined,  considering  that  there  appears  to  be  no  apparent 
reason,  such  as  alteration  of  the  nature  of  the  ground  or  vegetation, 
to  account  for  the  fact.  The  armadillo  {Dasy/>i(s  ?)iinii/us),  which 
is  found  in  numbers  on  the  north  bank  of  the  River  .S.uua  Cruz,  is 
entirely  absent  from  the  south  bank,  nor,  to  my  knowledge,  has  a 
single  specimen  ever  been  secured  there.        This  instance  of  the 


68  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

distribution  of  the  armadillo  agrees  with  other  facts  of  the  same 
kind  which  are  common  to  Patagonia.  The  rivers  running  from 
west  to  east  across  the  continent  mark  the  limit  of  the  distribution 
of  some  of  the  mammals.  Thus  I  am  assured  the  jaguar  {Felis  onca) 
is  not  to-day  found  south  of  the  River  Negro.  And  the  puma  does 
not  exist  in  Tierra  del  Fuego,  the  dividing  water  in  this  latter 
instance  being  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  The  guanaco.  however, 
is  distributed  throughout  the  whole  of  Patagonia  and  also  in  Tierra 
del  Fuego.  I  met  with  this  animal  deep  inside  the  Cordillera,  and 
indeed  once,  with  consecutive  shots,  I  killed  a  huemul  and  a 
Sfuanaco. 

About  this  time  it  became  apparent  that  neither  Fritz  nor 
Hollesen,  the  German  Gauchos,  were  very  much  in  love  with  the 
hard  work  and  hardships  which  they  conceived  lay  before  them. 
It  was  a  favourite  trick  of  theirs  to  fall  out  of  the  troop  on  the 
plea  of  fixing  a  cargo,  and  then,  as  soon  as  we  were  lost  to  sight,  to 
sit  down  and  smoke  their  pipes  ;  in  fact,  they  had  determined  to 
take  things  easy.  On  the  evening  of  our  leaving  Colohuapi 
Hollesen  asked  me  for  some  cartridges  for  his  revolver,  saying 
that  when  working  under  the  Argentine  Boundary  Commission 
he  had  had  a  quarrel  with  an  Indian  concerning  the  Indian's 
wife,  and  that  he  feared  meeting  him,  for  the  man  had  sworn  to 
be  revenged. 

Durino-  the  nio-ht  the  doos  ate  about  ten  kilos  of  mutton 
which  we  had  brought  with  us  from  Colohuapi,  although  it  was 
wrapped  up  in  a  tent,  so  the  next  morning  we  were  forced  to 
breakfast  upon  an  old  gander,  that  made  a  very  tough  and  tasteless 
pucJiero.  Our  next  march  was  about  six  leagues,  and  that  evening 
an  Indian  rode  into  our  camp  and  offered  to  guide  us  across  the 
pampa  to  Lake  Buenos  Aires.  He  was  a  Tehuelche,  and  he  told 
us  that  some  of  his  tribe  were  encamped  in  the  valley  of  the  River 
Mayo  at  its  junction  with  the  River  Chalia.  All  the  following  day, 
leaving  the  river  and  guided  by  the  Indian,  we  rode  across  bare 
stony  pampa  devoid  of  game,  and  in  the  evening,  after  passing 
three  lagoons,  we  made  our  camp  round  a  spring  of  water.  As, 
owing  to  the  depredations  of  the  dogs,  we  had  no  fresh  food,  I 
took  the  gun  and  attempted  to  stalk  a  couple  of  upland  geese. 


THE  RIVER  VALLEYS  69 

As   I    was  returning  unsuccessful,   Burbury  met  me  and    told 
me  that    the  Germans    had    again   been  givincr   him   trouble.      I 
was  prepared  for  the  news,  as  I   had  noticed  they  were  inclined 
to     shirk    work    of    late,     constantly     lingering     behind    and     in 
every  way  making  themselves  objectionable.      On  an  expedition 
where     there    is    naturally 
plenty  of  work  for  every  one, 
it    is    useless    to    have    men 
who  orrowl  at  doino-  their  fair 
proportion  of  it.     They  were 
also  trying  to    influence   the 
other  Gauchos,  for  this  trick 
of  deserting  at  a  critical  time, 
when  their  services  cannot  be 
replaced,    is   a  very   old   one 
with  peones,  who  on  such  oc- 
casions  can  sometimes  force 
their    employers    into  giving 

them  disproportionately  high  wages.  I  was,  of  course,  resolved 
not  to  yield  to  their  demands  but  to  push  forward,  even  if  they  left 
us.  I  consulted  with  Burbury,  who  agreed  that  we  could  manage 
without  their  help,  though  it  would  leave  us  awkwardly  short- 
handed. 

On  arriving  at  the  camp  I  asked  the  Germans  the  reason  of 
their  late  behaviour,  but  they  could  give  me  no  satisfactory  answer, 
but  burst  into  a  tirade  about  an  inoffensive  companion.  Barck- 
hausen.  which  was  obviously  only  an  excuse  to  cover  dieir  real 
designs.  I  told  them  they  must  in  future  behave  properly  or  else 
leave  my  camj)  next  morning.  After  a  certain  amount  of  talk  and 
bluster  Fritz  said  that  not  only  Hollesen  and  he  but  the  Welsh 
peones  would  in  that  case  turn  back. 

During  the  course  of  the  evening  I  spoke  to  Jones,  who 
informed  me  that  h>itz  had  persuaded  him  to  desert,  but  on  \w\ 
pointing  out  that  this  would  not  be  a  very  wise  proceeding,  he 
at  once  threw  in  his  lot  with  us. 

In  llic  morning,  hnding  I  was  of  the  same  mind,  ilu-  (icnnans 
again  informed  me  of  their  wish  to  turn  back.      1    therefore  gave 


70  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

them  food  to  last  them  upon  their  journey  to  civilisation,  as  well 
as  the  worst  buck-jumper  of  the  troop,  and  told  them  to  leave  the 
camp  as  soon  as  possible.  Fritz,  after  some  further  talk  and  after 
remarking  to  Hollesen  in  German  that  they  had  better  have  stayed 
after  all,  climbed  on  to  the  horse  and  rode  away. 

The  Germans  at  the  outset  had  been  admirable  workers,  apart 
from  their  cunninof,  which  tiuLTcd  most  of  their  conduct.  Yet 
perhaps,  if  they  had  gone  on  with  us,  we  might  have  paid  for 
Hollesen's  misdoings  with  the  Indians,  by  getting  into  trouble 
with  the  tribe  who  had  saved  his  life  and  whom  he  had  so  scurvily 
requited.  As  it  happened,  a  few  days  later  we  came  upon  the  very 
tribe  with  whom  he  had  had  to  do. 

I  will  now  take  some  extracts  from  my  diary  : 

"  October  28. — The  Germans  left  us  this  morninor.  I  think  we 
shall  be  all  the  better  without  them.  Immediately  on  their  depar- 
ture I  determined  to  march  to  the  cahadon  or  valley  of  the  River 
Senguerr,  giving  up  the  route  suggested  by  the  Indian,  as  it  v^as 
likely  that  the  horses  would  stray  upon  the  pampa.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  decrease  the  weight  of  some  of  our  cargo,  which  we  at  once 
set  about  doing.  The  reason  for  this  was  that,  having  so  few  men, 
each  pair  of  us  would  have  to  look  after  six  cargueros,  or  pack- 
horses,  and  we  were  consequently  obliged  to  lessen  their  number. 

"  While  we  were  getting  ready  a  thin  rain  and  a  yelling  wind 
came  down  the  cafiadon  as  we  started  to  catch  the  horses.  The 
salt  marsh  over  which  the  Germans  had  orone  lav  behind  us,  and 
ahead  were  shallow  lagoons  around  which  the  tussocks  whistled  in 
the  wind.  But  I  think  we  none  of  us  noticed  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather,  we  were  soaked  to  the  skin  as  we  worked,  and  in  an 
hour  and  a  half — a  record  as  to  time  in  cargoing  up  even  with  the 
aid  of  the  men  who  had  gone — we  had  loaded  the  last  cargueiv  of 
the  twelve,  and  with  extra  ropes  hanging  to  the  saddles,  a  brandy 
bottle  protruding  from  each  of  the  pockets  of  Barckhausen  and 
with  Jones  perched  high  and  stirrupless  upon  a  sack  of  beans,  we 
set  off." 

Providentially,  not  a  single  cargo  shifted,  although  we  covered 
something  like  fourteen  miles.  I  should  have  mentioned  that  one 
of  the  reasons  which  weio'hed  with  me  in  a^rain  seekingf  the  cafiadon 


THE  RIVER  VALLEYS 


71 


of  the  River  Senguerr  was  the  fact  that  four  of  the  horses  had 
strayed  in  the  night.  It  was  our  intention  to  camp  as  soon  as  we 
reached  a  suitable  place  in  the  valley  and  to  scour  the  country  for 
the  lost  horses.  This,  however,  turned  out  not  to  be  necessary,  as 
we  came  right  upon  the  truants  grazing  in  the  mouth  of  a  small  rift 
in  the  cliff  of  the  caiiadon.  One  of 
them  cantered  out  with  a  neigh  to 
meet  the  troop  npon  the  hillside. 
It  rained  so  heavilv  in  the 
night  that  we  put  up  the  tent  and 
were  crlad  of  its  warm  shelter. 
Morning  came  with  pearl-grey 
mists  in  the  valley.  We  worked 
like  slaves,  and  our  hands  be- 
came   verv    sore    with    the   new 


RIVEK    SEXGUEKK,    WHI.Kl.    l/I~.\-ll.i< 


IK  TOOK   US 


cargo-ropes. 

The  next  day,  had  I  but  known  it,  marked  the  last  ot  our  mis- 
fortunes, for  after  that  we  enjoyed  as  good  luck  as  we  had  hitherto 
experienced  the  reverse. 

We  spent  most  of  the  morning  in  slowly  marching  a  couple  of 
leagues,  and  then  Scrivenor,  who  was  leading,  came  back  to  say 
that  our  way  was  barred  by  a  sheer  cliff,  close  under  which  the 
river  ran.  Burbury,  however,  was  of  the  opinion  that  it  would  be 
easier  to  proceed  than  to  attempt  to  scale  the  tall  barranca,  which 
was  our  only  alternative  choice.  We  straggled  across  the  hall- 
dry  marshy  grass  that  fringed  the  river-bed,  which  here  winds 
o;reatlv. 

Presently  we  climbed  on  to  a  steep  slope  on  the  cliffs,  where 
directly  below  us  the  river  ran  with  a  current  of  about  three  knots. 
The  passage  along  this  slope  was  very  difficult,  and  we  were 
driving  the  horses  with  infinite  care.  The  face  of  the  clift  was 
scarred  with  the  traces  of  a  landslip.  One  of  the  horses,  the  ( )ld 
Zaino,  so  called  not  because  of  any  weight  of  years,  but  on  account 
of  the  gravity  of  his  demeanour,  climbed  up  and  uj),  in  spit'^  ot 
all  our  efforts,  among  the  shifting  earth  and  loose  stones  until  he 
was  some  hundred  feet  above  the  niain  body  of  the  troop.  He 
was   a  tall,  ewe-necked  animal,  and   always  bore  an   exasperating 


72  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

expression    of   insulted    dignity.       He    was    carrying    a    cargo    of 
flour. 

When  he  had.  in  his  own  opinion,  managed  to  get  sufficiently 
ahead  of  his  companions,  he  stopped  dead  and  looked  down  upon 
us  with  a  baleful  eye  as  we  toiled  beneath  him.  Then  suddenly, 
w_  but  methodically,  he  began  to 

..^^ ,  ii^HlHll'ltri  descend  towards  us  in  a  suc- 

JB^  ^  \;^  cession  of  devastating   bucks. 

^  ^         >•  /  Nq    cargo,    tied     with    ropes, 

could    withstand     such    treat- 


ll  ^'iv''*  ment.     The  ci7ic/i  gave  way, 

^1  j  1  and   he  and  his  pack  arrived 

j;;c:^53s» wffffH'lj^fit^'''m\  simultaneously  in   the   middle 

ot  the  troop. 

He    cannoned     against    a 
black  horse    carrying"  ammu- 

THE   OLD    ZAINO  .     .  1  i        • 

nition  and  oatmeal,  and  it 
besfan  to  slide  down  the  cliff  towards  the  river  on  its  haunches. 
The  remainder  of  the  horses  stampeded,  some  fell,  some  got 
into  impossible  positions.  .  .  .  For  several  minutes  the  big 
black  horse  huno-  within  measurable  distance  of  violent  death 
upon  the  rocks  below,  but  Barckhausen  made  a  great  effort  to  save 
him,  and  succeeded,  thouoh  the  caroo  w^is  kicked  off  in  a  most 
perilous  place.  Only  a  guanaco  track  led  along  the  steep  hillside, 
and  over  the  edge  of  the  slope  our  belongings  dropped  into  the 
river  a  hundred  feet  below.  Each  lifted  a  small  cloud  of  spray  as 
it  fell  and  floated  serenely  away  on  the  current  or  sank  from  sight. 
The  water  was  dotted  with  the  various  packages.  All  Burbury's 
clothes,  some  of  mine,  flour,  oatmeal,  a  case  of  corned  beef,  six 
hundred  rounds  of  ammunition,  and  the  concertina — these  were 
amono-  our  losses. 

A  salvage-party  was  at  once  despatched  to  attempt  the  rescue 
of  such  of  our  goods  as  were  still  swimming,  while  the  rest  of  us 
collected  the  horses  and  returned  with  a  sufficiency  of  ropes  to 
enable  us  to  get  down  the  cliff,  for  upon  the  ragged  edge  left  by 
the  landslip  and  overhanging  the  river  some  of  our  things  had 
lodged.     We  felt  that  we  were   for  the  time  bein^  out  of  luck. 


THE  RIVER  VALLEYS 


73 


THE    GLANACO   (AN    INTIMATE    OF   THK   OI.O    ZAINO's) 


We  had  not  long  lost  the  waggon,  and  now  followed  the  losing  of 
important  stores  and  the  yet  more  Important  ammunition.  We 
knotted  together  eight  of  the  cargo-ropes,  and  while  Scrivenor  and 
I  were  doinof-  this,  Barckhausen  retrieved  one  of  the  boxes  of 
ammunition,  and  told  us  that  there  were  a  couple  more  farther 
down,  and  out  of  reach,  he 
feared,  which  had  stuck  in 
the  soft  earth  of  the  landslip. 
However,  with  the  aid  of 
the  rope  I  managed  to  bring 
both  up  to  safe  ground. 

"  During  this  time  we 
could  see  Burbury  and  Jones 
far  away  in  the  valley,  where 
the  river  narrowed  and  the 
current  swino-ino-  near  the 
bank  offered  a  hopeful  chance 
of  catchinor  the  floatinof  ar- 
tides.     They    succeeded    in 

dragging  ashore  most  of  the  packages,  but  Burbury's  clothes, 
which  were  in  a  brown  waterproof  bag,  sank,  the  bag,  I  fancy, 
having  filled  with  water.  Our  total  losses  thus  amounted  to 
200  1 2-bore  cartridges,  a  tin  of  Mauser  ammunition,  a  25-kilo 
bag  of  oatmeal,  and  the  clothes.  On  the  whole  we  could  not  help 
thinking  things  might  have  been  very  much  worse. 

"  The  horses  had  meantime  come  to  a  standstill  in  a  patch 
of  hicfh  orrass  farther  alon^r  beneath  the  barranca,  and  there  we 
rounded  them  up  and  re-cargoed. 

"When  this  was  done  it  was  found  that  we  had  another  place, 
almost  as  difficult  as  that  upon  which  we  had  come  to  grief.  t(3 
surmount.  This  time,  however,  Burbury  led  a  horse  in  front, 
and  the  others  followed  meekly  in  his  track.  We  had  wasted 
several  hours  in  neofotiatin''-  the  first  barranca,  and  it  was  soon 
time  to  camp.  As  we  had  no  meat,  1  went  to  sec  it  I  could 
not  kill  some  geese  [Chlocphaga  inagc/Zanica),  which  I  had 
observed  ui)on  a  neck  of  land,  that  stretched  out  into  the 
river.      There  were  five  geese,  and    1   was   luck)-  enough  to  kill 


74 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


two,  both  females,  which  are  very  much  more  tender  than  the 
males.  On  one  side  of  the  camp  was  a  chain  of  small  lagoons, 
evidently  formed  by  the  overflow  of  the  river,  and  in  one  of  these 
I  saw  a  flock  of  brown  pintails.  These  were  easily  stalked  behind 
the  rushes,  and  the  discharge  of  two  barrels  of  the  12-bore  left  five 

upon  the  water.     At   dark  a 
storm  of  rain  blew  up. 

"  October  30. — This  car- 
going  work  is  very  weari- 
some, and  has  got  upon  our 
nerves.  Even  in  one's  sleep 
one  sees  the  reeling,  writhing 
mass  of  kicking  and  strug- 
gling cargtieros  on  the  white 
and  raeeed-sided  bai'ranca*' 


^^ 


THE    ALAZAN    COLT    (NEARLY    KILLE 


Got  off  at  10.30  and  reached 
the  River  Mayo,  a  very  small 
D  ON  THE  SENGUERR)  Stream  herc,  flowing  through 
a  wide  valley  lined  by  bare 
steep  cliffs  200  feet  or  so  in  height.  We  are  all  becoming  quite 
expert  with  the  cargoes  ;  Burbury  and  Barckhausen,  and  Jones 
and  1  work  in  pairs.  The  newness  has  now  worn  off  the  ropes, 
and  haulng  on  them  does  not  any  longer  cut  our  hands.  Still 
an  occasional  cargo  shifts,  and  the  horse,  wildly  refusing  to  be 
caught,  gallops  away  kicking  at  his  cargo.  Thus  did  the  Alazan 
to-day,  scattering  Mauser  ammunition  among  the  bushes,  and 
kicking  the  spout  from  our  last  kettle,  so  that  we  can  only  fill 
it  half  full. 

"There  is  comparatively  little  game  in  this  bit  of  country,  few 
guanaco,  and  those  very  wild  because  of  the  Indians,  whose  beat 
we  are  now  approaching.  When  there  is  rain,  which  fortunately 
is  not  often,  we  have  to  carry  our  change  of  clothing  upon  our 
saddles  to  dry  them.  To-day  Jones  was  very  much  loaded  up 
with  his  extra  breeches  and  top  boots,  that  were  wet,  a  gun-cover, 

'^-  Any  traveller,  settler  or  cattleman  who  is  acquainted  with  the  vagaries  oi  cargueros 
will  understand  our  position.  Some  of  the  horses  which  we  used  as  cargueros  had 
never  before  had  a  saddle  upon  their  backs. 


THE  RIVER  VALLEYS  75 

fifty  rounds  of  ammunition  dropped  by  the  Alazan,  two  ducks,  a 
telescope,  and  a  water-bottle  ! 

"  October  31. — Soon  after  we  started  a  big  cloud  blew  out  of  the 
south  and  brought  with  it  a  heavy  hailstorm,  which  whistled  before 
a  drivintr  wind.  The  horses  would  not  face  it,  but  huddled  to-'^ether 
in  the  centre  of  the  valley.  We  encamped  early  as  we  needed 
meat.  Jones  and  I  left  the  camp  here  among  the  sand-dunes 
in  the  valley  and  went  a-hunting.  We  rode  up  a  cailadon,  in 
the  centre  of  which  our  horses  foundered  in  some  verv  bad 
ground.  Getting  out  of  this  we  struck  a  stretch  of  desolate 
pampa,  across  which  we  cut  towards  the  big  caiiadon  of  the  Mayo 
in  order  to  explore  the  route  which  we  must  follow  upon  the 
morrow.  To  my  surprise  we  presently  came  to  a  clear  stream, 
flowing  through  another  wide  caiiadon,  which  joined  the  Mayo 
from  a  south-westerly  direction.  Can  this  be  the  River  Genguel  .-^ 
The  Indian  tjuide  told  us  that  it  would  take  us  a  month  to  o-et  from 
here  to  lake  Buenos  Aires.  If  it  is  the  Genguel,  however,  we 
should  arrive  at  the  lake  in  ten  marches — a  very  different  matter. 
It  would  be  as  well  to  halt  to-morrow  for  the  day,  so  that  an 
observation  may  be  taken  to  determine  this  point,  and  also  to 
enable  us  to  go  hunting,  as  we  have  but  one  duck  in  the  camp, 
and,  since  our  losses  at  the  Senguerr  barranca,  it  is  more  than  ever 
necessary  to  save  our  stock  of  tinned  provisions. 

"  To-day  the  Old  Zaino,  this  time  fortunately  not  carrying  a 
cargo,  again  attempted  to  repeat  his  trick  of  the  Senguerr 
barranca,  but  was  circumvented  by  Burbury  and  Barckhausen. 

''November  i. — To-day  Scrivenor  shot  the  sun  70  56'  W. 
long,  and  45°  39'  S.  lat.  So  the  river  we  saw  yesterday  is  the 
Genguel,  which  is  excellent.  Jones  and  I  went  out  to  shoot  for  the 
pot.  As  there  were  no  guanaco  in  the  neighbourhood,  he  took  the 
Paradox  and  1  my  12-bore,  and  we  confined  ourselves  to 
following  some  flocks  of  upland  geese  which  we  had  observed  in 
the  valley.  I  will  describe  the  day's  sport  at  length,  as  it  was 
very  typical  of  Patagcmian  wild-fowl  shooting  in  a  fairly  good 
district. 

"We  rode  our  horses,  of  course,  I  taking  the  Cruzado  and 
Jones  '  JA'.I'^.'  a  small   brown   animal,  so  called   because  he  bears 


76  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

th.it  brand  upon  liis  flank.  The  first  f^eese  we  came  upon  were  a 
party  of  five  standing  upon  an  island  in  the  Mayo.  As  it  was 
impossible  to  stalk  these  birds  we  tried  driving,  and  I  sent 
Humphrey  Jones,  who,  by  the  way,  was  a  very  keen  sportsman,  to 
attempt  to  drive  them  over  me,  where  I  had  taken  up  my 
quarters  in  some  bushes  upstream  above  them  on  the  bank. 
Jones  meantime  made  a  large  circle  and  galloped  up  towards 
them.  When  he  was  within  about  200  yards  they  rose,  and 
honking  indignantly  made  straight  up  in  my  direction.  Hying, 
however,  a  little  too  wide.  They  went  down  again  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  away,  and  we  repeated  our  tactics,  I  remaining 
where  I  was.  I  could  not  help  thinking  how  much  time  was 
saved  bv  Jones  being  on  horseback.  Had  he  been  on  foot  it 
would  have  taken  him  a  long  time  in  that  bare  valley  to  fetch 
a  circle  bio-  enough.  As  it  was,  in  five  minutes  the  birds  were 
again  on  the  wing,  and  this  time  they  gave  me  a  chance  and  I 
brouo-ht  down  two  ;  one,  however,  falling  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  had  to  be  abandoned." 

Any  one  who  travels  through  Patagonia  cannot  fail  to  be  struck 
by  the  enormous  quantities  of  upland  geese  (Ckloepliaga  niagel- 
lanica)  which  abound  in  the  vicinity  of  the  rivers  and  lagoons.  At 
this  time  a  great  many  of  the  birds  are  paired,  but  at  a  latter  date 
in  the  valley  of  the  Coyly  we  once  made  a  camp  round  which  the 
country  in  all  directions  was  covered  by  thousands  ol  these  geese. 
After  our  shot  Jones  rejoined  me  and  we  proceeded  to  the  edge  of 
a  small  laooon,  where  he  told  me  he  had  seen  some  ducks.  On 
approaching  it  I  examined  the  birds  through  my  telescope  and 
discovered  them  to  be  brown  pintails  (Daji/a  spinicaudd).  I  held 
the  horses  while  Jones  enjoyed  the  stalk,  which  ended  in  his 
killing  two  of  the  birds,  to  retrieve  which  it  was  necessary  to  wade 
into  pretty  deep  water. 

We  now  rode  towards  the  valley  of  the  Genguel,  and  there 
flushed  innumerable  snipe,  at  which  we  did  not  shoot,  as  we  could 
not  afford  to  waste  ammunition  on  so  small  a  bird.  We  next 
descried  a  flock  of  nineteen  geese,  which  were  peculiarly  wideawake 
and  would  not  allow  us  to  approach  for  a  long  time,  and  presently 
we  deserted  their  pursuit  in  favour  of  that  of  a  single  old  gander 


THE  RIVER  VALLEYS 


77 


that  was  standing  upon  the  shingle  beside  the  river.  I  got  up 
quite  close  to  this  bird  and  had  a  rising  shot  at  him  as  he  tlevv 
across    the    stream.       I    killed    him    quite    dead,    but    it    seemed 


if 


VVII.DGOOSE   CAMP 


impossible  to  retrieve  him,  and  we  were  rather  disconsolately 
watching  his  body  drift  away  when  it  struck  us  that  Jones,  who 
was  very  clever  with  the  lasso,  might  manage  to  recov^er  it  at  a 
point  where  the  current  brought  it  within  reach  of  our  side.  We 
therefore  galloped  parallel  to  the  bird  along  the  bank,  and  after 
one  or  two  ineffectual  efforts,  Jones  succeeded  in  getting  the  lasso 
round  him,  and  so  dragged  him  in. 

"  We  ne.xt  had  lunch  which  consisted  of  niati^.  As  we  sat 
waiting  for  the  kettle  to  boil,  several  blue-winged  teal  i^Oucnjucdiila 
cyanoptcrd)  passed  over  us  and  went  down  in  a  small  marsh 
towards  the  Genguel.  After  these  Jones  had  another  stalk,  and 
killed  two.  As  he  was  returning  a  couple  of  geese  (lew  over  at  about 
thirty-five  yards  distance,  and  he  dropped  the  female  (piite  dead. 
It   is  e.\traordinar\-  what  an  amount   of  shot  these  greese   will    in  a 


78 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


general  way  carry  off  with  them.  For  all  my  shooting  in 
Patagonia  I  used  No.  4  shot  and  26  gr.  of  ballistite.  The  gun 
which    I    used   most   was  a    12-bore   moderately  choked    in    both 


.m/CL-.  T^tk"^'--  -vi,--^VA.v^-.:.i.  -'^.^ 


BAD    STALKING    (CALIFATE-lJUbll    ON    I'AMl'A) 

barrels,  and  this  I  found  answered  every  purpose  of  wild- fowl 
shooting  in  Patagonia  excellently. 

"  At  reasonable  ranges  a  number  of  black-necked  swans 
{Cygnus  nigricollis)  fell  to  this  weapon. 

"  After  picking  up  the  goose,  we  again  turned  our  attention 
to  the  nineteen  that  I  have  mentioned  earlier.  They  then  went 
on  a  irood  distance  downstream,  and  here,  under  cover  of  the 
rushes,  we  stalked  up  within  twenty  yards  of  them,  and  shot  three 
as  they  rose.  One  of  the  flock  swung  back,  and  both  of  us  fired  at 
him,  bringing  him  down.  Thinking  we  had  enough  geese,  we 
decided  to  follow  the  ducks,  which  we  did  in  a  rather  desultory 
manner.  We  bagged  two  more,  both  pintails,  before  we  returned 
to  camp  in  the  evening,  having  had  a  very  pleasant  day's  sport." 


THE  RIVER  VALLEYS  79 

Although  I  never  attempted  to  make  a  big  bag  upon  any  day 
during  the  time  I  spent  in  Patagonia,  yet,  no  doubt,  an  enormous 
(juantity  of  geese  could  be  shot  in  a  single  day.  Quite  close  to  the 
settlements  a  couple  of  hundred  might  be  secured  by  two  guns  in 
a  day,  and  during  the  migration  a  far  greater  number. 

The  whole  of  the  valley  of  the  River  Chico  is  excellent  for 
wild-fowling,  and  I  expected  the  numbers  of  birds  to  increase  as 
we  drew  nearer  to  Lake  Buenos  Aires.  And  certainly  in  the 
canadon  of  the  River  Deseado  I  was  not  disappointed,  but  of  that 
I  will  write  in  its  due  place. 

On  November  2  we  resumed  our  march,  still  following  the 
valley  of  the  IMayo,  past  the  scenes  of  our  sport  of  the  previous 
day,  A  little  after  midday  Jones  saw  a  whitish  object  among 
some  bushes  at  the  edo^e  of  the  river  and  asked  mv  leave  to  eo 
and  see  what  it  was.  Presentlv  he  came  ridinof  back  to  sav  it 
was  a  wild  cow  and  that  h-;  had  observed  her  throucJ"h  the  glasses. 
She  was  nearly  a  mile  distant,  and,  taking  my  rifle,  I  rode  off 
with  Jones  and  we  stalked  her  to  about  200  yards.  W^e  again 
examined  her  carefully  through  the  telescope,  and  seeing  that  she 
was  five  or  six  years  old  and  unbranded,  the  fact  of  her  belonorinof 
to  a  wild  herd  rather  than  being  a  truant  escaped  from  the  settle- 
ments two  hundred  miles  away  appeared  to  be  certain.  It  was  v-'ith 
considerable  keenness  that  we  crawled  up  nearer,  as  wild  cattle 
afford  the  best  sport  of  all  Patagonian  animals. 

These  wild  cattle  have  some  of  them  been  wild  for  manv 
generations,  their  remote  ancestors  probably  being  the  herds  which 
the  Spaniards  originally  possessed  in  the  Valdez  Peninsula  on  the 
east  coast  during  the  earlier  occupation  of  Patagonia.  Since  then 
from  time  to  time  numbers  of  cattle  escape  from  the  coast-farms 
and  run  wild,  and,  joining  the  older  free  herds,  breed  wild.  Such 
herds  are  still  to  be  found  in  considerable  numbers  amoncj  the 
foot-hills  of  the  Cordillera.  Musters  in  his  book  gives  an  account 
of  meeting  with  a  wild  bull.  "  W'e  had  expected  before  reaching 
this  point  to  have  found  cattle  in  considerable  numbers,  but 
the  warmth  of  the  day  had  probably  driven   them   into  the  thickets 

to  seek  shelter Presentlv  ....   after  riding  about  a  miU-.  I 

espied  two  bulls.    Two  men  were  sent  round  to  endeaxour  in  drive 


8o  THROUGH  THE   HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

the  animals  to  a  clearing-  where  it  would  be  possible  to  use  the 
lassoo  ....  At  the  end  of  five  minutes  ....  a  yell  from  the 
other  side  put  us  anxiously  on  the  alert,  and  we  had  the  gratifica- 
tion to  see  one  of  the  animals  coming  straight  towards  our  cover. 
Alas  !  just  as  we  were  preparing  to  dash  out,  he  turned  on  the 
edge  of  the  plain,  and  after  charging  furiously  at  his  pursuer  dashed 
into  a  thicket,  where  he  stood  at  bay.  We  immediately  closed 
round  him.  and  dismounting,  I  advanced  on  foot  to  try  and  bring 
him  down  with  a  revolver.  Just  as  1  got  within  half  a  dozen  paces 
of  him,  and  behind  a  bush  was  quietly  taking  aim  at  his  shoulder, 
the  Indians,  eaeer  for  beef,  and  safe  on  their  horses  at  a  consider- 
able  distance  off,  shouted,  'Nearer,  nearer!'  I  accordingly  slipped 
from  my  cover,  but  had  hardly  moved  a  pace  forward  when  my 
spur  caught  in  a  root,  and  at  the  same  moment  el  Toro  charged. 
Entangled  with  the  root,  I  could  not  jump  on  one  side  as  he  came 
on  ;  so,  when  within  a  yard  I  fired  a  shot  in  his  face,  hoping  to 
turn  him,  and  wheeled  my  body  at  the  same  instant  to  prevent  his 
horns  from  catching  me,  as  the  sailors  say,  'broadside  on.'  The 
shot  did  not  stop  him,  so  I  was  knocked  down,  and,  galloping  over 
me,  he  passed  on  with  my  handkerchief,  which  fell  from  my  head, 
triumphantly  borne  on  his  horns,  and  stopped  a  few  yards  off  under 
another  bush.  Having  picked  myself  up  and  found  my  legs  and 
arms  all  right,  I  gave  him  another  shot,  which,  as  my  hand  was 
rather  unsteady,  only  took  effect  in  the  flank.  My  cartridges 
being  exhausted,  I  returned  to  my  horse  and  found  that,  besides 
being  considerably  shaken,  two  of  my  ribs  had  been  broken 
by  the  encounter. 

"  The  Indians  closed  round  me,  and  evinced  great  anxiety  to 
know  whether  I  was  much  hurt.  One,  more  courageous  than  the 
rest,  despite  the  warning  of  the  cacique,  swore  he  would  try  and 
lasso  the  brute,  and,  accordingly,  approached  the  infuriated  animal, 
who  for  a  moment  or  two  showed  no  signs  of  stirring  ;  just,  how- 
ever, as  the  Indian  was  about  to  throw  his  lasso,  it  caught  in  a 
branch,  and  before  he  could  extricate  it  the  bull  was  upon  him. 
We  saw  the  horse  give  two  or  three  vicious  kicks  as  the  bull 
fored  him.  At  len^xth  he  was  lifted  clean  up,  the  fore-leo;s  alone 
remaininfj  on  the  ground,  and  overthrown,  the  rider  aliohtino-  on 


^ 


A   DAUGHTER  OF  THIi    TOLDOS 


THE  RIVER  VALLEYS  8i 

his  head  in  a  bush.  We  closed  up  and  attracted  the  bull  in 
another  direction,  then  went  to  look  for  the  corpse  of  our  comrade, 
who,  however,  to  our  surprise,  issued  safe  from  the  bush,  where  he 
had  lain  quiet  and  unhurt,  though  the  horse  was  killed.  This 
little  incident  cast  a  gloom  over  our  day's  pleasure,  and  lost  us  our 
Christmas  dinner,  as  Orkeke  ordered  a  retreat  to  the  spot  where 
we  had  left  our  mantles,  although  we  tried  to  persuade  him  to 
attack  the  beast  again,  or,  at  any  rate,  remain  and  eat  some  of  the 
dead  horse,  and  try  our  luck  next  day,  but  he  was  inflexible.  .  .  . 
On  our  way  across  the  plain  previously  described,  wild  cattle  were 
seen,  and  one  chased  ;  but  he,  although  balled  by  Orkeke,  con- 
trived to  slip  the  bolas,  and  escaping  to  cover,  stood  to  bay,  where 
he  was  left  master  of  the  field." 

In  the  present  instance,  however,  nothing  at  all  exciting  was  in 
store  for  us.  Mv  first  bullet  struck  the  cow  behind  the  shoulder  a 
little  high,  she  went  down  upon  her  knees,  and  a  second  shot 
brought  her  to  the  ground.  On  our  approaching  she  staggered  to 
her  feet,  whereupon  Jones  gave  her  a  shot  in  the  brain.  We  then 
set  about  grallocking  and  skinning  our  quarry,  and  were  delighted 
to  find  that  she  carried  a  good  deal  of  fat.  We  were  at  the 
time  running  very  short  of  this  essential  article  of  diet,  for,  as 
has  been  said,  the  guanacos  supply  none  at  this  season  of  the 
year,  when  they  are  still  in  poor  condition  after  the  hardships 
of  the  winter. 

When  we  had  finished  cutting  up  the  meat,  we  packed  it  as 
well  as  we  could  upon  our  saddles  and  rode  away.  The  amount 
of  meat  with  which  we  had  laden  our  saddles  made  them  extremely 
uncomfortable  ;  this  was  very  much  so  in  my  own  case,  as  I  was 
riding  a  little  black  horse  whose  temper  was  not  of  the  sweetest, 
and  which  had  been  but  seldom  ridden  since  our  start,  and  was 
consequently  very  fresh  and  skittish.  We  had  spent  a  long  time 
over  our  task  of  cutting  up  the  cow,  and  the  trooj)  had  gone  far 
ahead.  After  riding  about  an  hour  we  saw  a  white  bull  upon  the 
hillside  above  us,  but  on  using  the  telescope  perceived  it  carried  a 
brand  upon  its  flank.     We  therefore  left  it  in  peace. 

A  little  later,  as  we  were  riding  under  the  western  barranca 
of  the  canadon  of  the  River  Mayo,  we  came  upon  some  fairly  fresh 


82  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

tracks  of  sheep.  This  fact,  taken  in  conjunction  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  white  bull,  made  me  begin  to  wonder  whether  it  was 
possible  that  the  cow  I  had  shot  might  not  prove  to  be  a  tame  one. 
We  pushed  on  more  rapidly,  the  tracks  growing  sharper  and  more 
distinct.  Presently  the  tracks  began  to  run  into  beaten  lines,  and 
such  always  mean  in  Patagonia  that  man  is  not  far  off.  As  we 
rode  we  discussed  the  chances  as  to  who  the  owners  of  the  sheen 
would  turn  out  to  be,  and  this  we  found  sufficiently  exciting,  as  we 
had  beheld  no  strange  face  for  many  a  day. 

Very  soon,  as  we  rode  round  a  curve  of  the  cliff,  we  came  in 
sight  of  five  armadillo-shaped  tents  lying  snugly  in  the  valley. 
We  had  not  expected  to  come  upon  the  Indians,  who,  so  our  guide 
had  told  us,  were  in  the  valley  of  the  River  Mayo,  until  some  time 
later,  but  this  was  undoubtedly  the  encampment  to  which  he  had 
alluded.  A  number  of  sheep  and  of  horses,  together  with  a  small 
herd  of  cattle,  proved  them  to  be  an  unusually  rich  tribe. 

The  remainder  of  our  party,  on  sighting  the  huts  of  the 
Tehuelches,  had  halted  and  were  waiting  for  my  arrival.  We 
now  rode  together  in  the  direction  of  the  tents,  and,  while  we 
were  yet  afar  off,  the  hounds  about  the  squat  tents  broke  into  a 
chorus  of  barkino".  As  we  drew  nearer  we  could  see  that  the  tall 
figures,  wrapped  in  guanaco-skins,  were  standing  in  the  openings 
of  the  toldos,  on  the  look-out  for  the  arrival  whose  presence  had 
been  heralded  by  the  dogs.  The  sun  was  setting  by  this  time 
over  the  high  cliffs  of  the  cahadon,  and  the  toldos  threw  lengthened 
shadows  upon  the  ground. 

When  we  came  within  a  short  distance,  the  Indians  stepped 
forward,  finely  developed  men,  of  a  swarthy  brown,  with  high 
cheek-bones,  their  coarse  black  hair  falling  round  their  faces,  and 
tied  about  the  brows  with  a  red  band.  The  tents  seemed  to  be 
full  to  overflowing  of  old  women  and  lean  hounds,  all  huddled 
together  upon  the  ground,  and  a  crowd  of  curious  faces  peeped 
forth.  The  toldos  were  made  of  guanaco-skins,  sewn  loosely  at 
their  edges,  and  supported  scjuarely  on  awkward-looking  props  or 
posts,  forked  at  the  top  to  admit  the  ridge-poles.  The  skins  were 
fastened  to  the  earth  outside  with  wooden  pegs.  These  dwellings 
appeared  to  be  anything  but  weather-proof,  for  at  the  seams  and 


THE  RIVER  VALLEYS 


83 


lower  edges  were  gaping  slits,  through  which  the  sky  or  the  ground 
was  visible.  As  to  the  shape  of  the  toidos,  if  you  can  imagine  a 
very  squat,  deep-draught  boat,  cut  off  at  rather  beyond  the  half  of 


jft\:V»-s- 


WATI  !    WATI  !    (TEHUELCHE    EXCLAMATION    OF   SURPRISE) 


her  length,  and  turned  upside  down,  you  will  have  some  idea  of 
their  appearance.  On  the  roof,  and  about  the  wooden  props, 
pieces  of  guanaco-nieat  had  been  hung  out  to  dry  in  the  sun. 
Within,  as  I  have  said,  upon  the  skins  which  strewed  the  floor  the 
doo"s  and  o-randmothers  of  the  tribe  were  mingled. 

It  was  our  first  experience  of  a  Tehuelche  encampment,  and 
perhaps  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  it  was  the  presence,  in  one 
form  or  another,  of  the  guanaco.  Some  of  his  flesh  was  cooking 
at  a  fire  outside  the  tents,  the  toidos  themselves  were  composed  of 
his  pelts,  the  ponchos  which  some  of  the  women  were  weaving 
were  made  from  his  wool,  tin-  boots  were  formed  of  his  neck-skin, 
some  of  the  horse-gear  uf  his  hide,  the  men's  capas  of  his  skin, 
while  dogs,  men,  and  women  alike  were  fattened  upon  the  food  he 


84  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

provided.  As  I  stood  there,  examining  all  these  things,  my  mind 
kept  running  upon  the  cow  which  I  had  killed,  and  which  I  was 
now  more  than  half  afraid  might  have  belonged  to  the  Indians.  If 
such  proved  to  be  the  case,  I  knew  that  they  would  resent  it  very 
bitterly,  and  even  perhaps  attempt  to  make  some  sort  of  reprisals 
upon  our  horses.  The  idea  of  saying  nothing  about  it.  were  my  sur- 
mise as  to  the  chance  of  its  having  been  their  property  correct,  struck 
me  as  being  the  least  troublesome  course  to  pursue  ;  but  nothing 
is  more  abhorrent  than  dealing  in  this  way  with  aboriginal  tribes. 
Personally,  I  should  look  upon  picking  the  pocket  of  a  civilised 
person  as,  in  comparison,  almost  a  meritorious  action.  I  may  as 
well  say  at  once  that  I  told  them  of  the  matter  of  the  cow  through 
the  vaqtteano  or  guide  whom  I  hired  from  their  tents,  and  offered  to 
pay  for  it  if  it  happened  to  be  their  property.  The  vaqtteano,  how- 
ever, said  that  no  cow  of  that  colour  belonged  to  their  herd,  and, 
taking  into  consideration  that  she  was  six  years  old  and  unmarked, 
I  made  my  mind  easy  on  this  point 

I  shall  now  break  off  from  the  thread  of  my  narrative  and 
give  a  description  of  the  Tehuelches,  detailing  the  facts  which  I 
gathered  about  them  during  my  residence  in  Patagonia.  I  will 
only  preface  it  by  saying  that  few  peoples  are  more  interesting  to 
study  than  the  Tehuelches,  of  whom  various  travellers  have  given 
such  widely  differing  accounts. 


INDIAN    TOLDO 

CHAPTER   W 

MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF   THE  TEHUELCHES 

Indian  method  of  curing  measles — Driving  out  the  devil — Magellan — Patagon — 
Long  boots — Reports  of  travellers — One  of  the  finest  races  in  the  world — 
Nomadic — Hunters — Decreasing  in  numbers — Introduction  of  horses — Bolas — 
No  history — Keen  bargainers  but  not  progressive — Features — Good  teeth — • 
Women — Morality — Young  and  old  women — Half-bloods — Paisanos — Reserved 
in  character — Habits — Infants'  heads  bandaged — Dance — Wives  bought — 
Price  of  a  wife — Marriage  ceremony — White  man  in  tolcios — Bad  influence — 
Connections  of  white  men  and  Tehuelche  women — Dress  and  adornment  of 
women — Work  —  Lazy  race  —  High  wages  —  Ceremonies  and  customs  — 
Religion — Gualicho — Fear  of  Cordillera — Fat  hunger — Tehuelche  lives  on 
horseback — Esquimaux  and  Tehuelche — Primitive  peoples  and  their  habits — 
Food — Tobacco — Pipes — Language — Tribal  government — Physical  strength — 
Decreasing  numbers — Men  of  silence  and  men  of  uproar — Courtesy  of  a 
Tehuelche. 

Snow  lay  in  the  hollows  so  deep  that  only  the  lean  crests  of  the 
higher  bushes  could  thrust  themselves  throu^j^h  Its  surface.  The 
wind,  which  had  driven  the  snowstorm  of  the  morning  away  to  the 
east,  swept  drearily  down  out  of  an  evening  sky  where  neither  sun 
nor  sunset  hues  were  to  be  seen,  nothing  but  a  spread  of  cold  and 
misty  grey,  growing  slowly  overshadowed  by  the  looming  promise 
of  more  snow. 

In  the  middle  of  the  level  white  pampa  two  figures  upon 
galloping  horses  were  visible.  As  we  came  nearer  we  saw  that  one 
was  that  of  a  man  clothed  in  a  cJm'ipa  and  a  capa  in  which  brown 
was  the  predominating  colour.  fie  was  mounted  on  a  heavy- 
necked  powerful  ceb7'uuo  horse,  his  stirrups  were  of  silver,  and  his 
ofear  of  raw-hide  seemed  smart  and  t-ood.      As  he  rode  he  yelled 


86  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

with  all  his  strength,  producing"  a  series  of  the  most  horrible  and 
piercing  shrieks. 

But  strange  as  was  this  wild  figure,  his  companion,  victim  or 
quarry,  was  stranger  and  more  striking  still.  For  on  an  ancient 
zauio  sat  perched  a  little  brown  maiden,  whose  aspect  was  forlorn 
and  pathetic  to  the  last  degree.  She  rode  absolutely  naked  in  the 
teeth  of  the  bitter  cold,  her  breast,  face  and  limbs  blotched  and 
smeared  with  the  rash  of  some  eruptive  disease,  and  her  heavy- 
lidded  eyes,  strained  and  open,  staring  ahead  across  the  leagues  of 
empty  snow-patched  plain. 

Presently  the  man  redoubled  his  howls,  and  bearing  down  upon 
the  zaiuo  (logged  and  frightened  it  into  yet  greater  speed.  The 
whole  scene  might  have  been  mistaken  for  some  ancient  barbaric 
and  revolting  form  of  punishment  ;  whereas,  in  real  truth,  it  was 
an  anxious  Indian  father  trying,  according  to  his  lights,  to  cure  his 
daughter  of  the  measles  ! 

It  appeared  that  the  girl  had  taken  the  disease  in  an  extremely 
acute  form,  and  Indian  belief  and  reasoning  run  something  on  these 
lines  : 

First  fact — The  child  was  possessed  by  a  devil  of  great  power 
and  ferocity,  who  set  up  such  a  trouble  inside  her  body  that  it  came 
forth  through  her  skin  in  blotches  and  spots. 

Second  fact — A  devil  is  known  to  dislike  noise  and  cold.  All 
devils  do.  Hence  the  ride  of  the  unlucky  patient  without  a  shred 
to  protect  her  from  the  strong  west  wind  snow-fed  with  bitter  cold, 
and  the  almost  incredible  uproar  made  by  the  old  gentleman  upon 
the  dark  brown  horse. 

If  one  concedes  the  premises,  it  must  be  admitted  there  was 
method  m  his  madness. 

The  above  account  was  given  me  by  Mr.  Ernest  Cattle,  an 
accurate  observer,  whose  knowledge  of  the  wild  districts  of 
Patagonia  is  unique. 

Such  is  the  Tehuelche  Indian  of  Peitagonia  to-day,  and  facts 
tend  to  show  that  he  has  in  very  few  particulars  departed  from  the 
customs,  manner  of  living  and  modes  of  thought  which  distinguished 
his  forefathers  in  the  dawn  of  authentic  Tehuelchian  history.  The 
earliest  mention  of  the  natives  of  Patagonia  occurs  on  the  occasion 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  TEHUELCHES    87 

of  the  discovery  of  the  country  by  Magellan  in  1520.  They  were 
described  as  men  of  huge  stature,  gi-ints  in  fact,  and  the  very  name 
Patagonia  is  said  to  be  derived  from  the  epithet  '" patagony  or 
"large  feet,''  which  the  Spaniards  bestowed  upon  them  on  account 
of  the  enormous  tracks  their  footsteps  left  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea- 
shore. The  Tehuelches  are  not,  as  it  happens,  a  large-footed 
though  they  are  a  tall  race,  but,  considering  the  curious  per- 
sistency of  habit,  which  is  one  of  their  chief  characteristics,  the 
idea  taken  up  by  the  Spanish  is  easily  explained.  The  Tehuelches 
wear  boots  oi potro  (colt-skin)  or  guanaco-skin,  which  project  in  a 
narrow  point  some  inches  beyond  the  toes.  There  can  be  little 
doubt,  judging  by  all  else  we  know  of  them,  that  their  ancestors  of 
Magellan's  day  wore  the  same  shape  of  foot-gear,  llie  impressions 
left  by  such  boots  would  very  naturally,  on  being  observed  by 
voyagers,  take  their  place  as  indications  of  a  race  of  giants.  In 
connection  with  this  idea  I  may  mention  that  several  early  writers 
united  in  giving  a  very  bad  name  to  the  Tehuelches.  No  reputation 
could  be  more  totally  unmerited.  From  reading  such  accounts  one 
would  be  left  with  the  conviction  that  the  Tehuelches  are  blood- 
thirs.y  and  barbarous  savages.  This  is  certainly  not  the  case  now, 
and  I  do  not  believe,  judging  from  all  I  saw  of  them  under  various 
circumstances,  that  such  accusations  could  ever  have  been  deserved. 
Some  travellers  appear  to  have  fallen  into  the  error  of  confounding 
them  with  other  Indian  races  of  South  America,  whose  charac- 
teristics and  history  differ  absolutely  from  the  people  of  whom  I 
am  writing. 

We  see  here  how  easy  it  is  for  travellers  to  make  mistakes. 
More  than  one  writer  has  charged  them  with  the  habit  of  eating 
raw  llesh  ;  whereas  they  cook  the  meat  for  food,  but  on  occasion 
thev  will  eat  raw  fat  and  drink  the  warm  blood  of  the  ostrich, 
which  facts,  no  doubt,  have  "iven  rise  to  the  above  misstatement. 

Although  not  gi  .nts,  the  Tehuelches  are  certainly  one  of  the 
finest  races  in  the  world.  Most  of  them  averacre  6  ft.,  some  attain 
to  6  ft.  4  in.  or  even  more,  and  in  all  cases  they  are  well  built  and 
well  developed.  Physically,  the  men  are  splendid  fellows,  who 
look  yet  more  nobly  formed  and  proportioned  because  t)l  the  ample 
folds  of  the  skin  capas  wwdi  ponchos  in  which  they  wrap  themselves. 


88  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Their  way  of  life  tends  to  muscular  excellence,  but  even  taking 
that  into  consideration  the  development  of  the  arms,  chest,  and,  in 
fact,  the  whole  body  above  the  loins  is  extraordinary.  But  the 
lower  limbs  are  sometimes  disappointing-,  being,  in  fact,  the  lower 
limbs  of  a  race  of  riders.* 

The  Tehuelche  Indians  of  Patagonia  are  essentially  nomads, 
living  chiefly  upon  the  proceeds  of  their  hunting,  and,  in  a  less 
degree,  maintaining  themselves  upon  sale  or  barter  connected 
with  their  limited  holding-  of  domestic  animals.  Ao-riculture  or 
tillacje  is  absolutely  unknown  amongr  them.  The  huntinsf-eround 
is  farm  enough  for  them,  and  they  pitch  their  tents  of  skin  where 
they  will,  or  change  their  quarters  at  the  dictates  of  necessity  or 
whim.  They  always  break  camp  if  a  death  occurs  among  the 
tribe,  for  the  spot  is  then  considered  accursed.  And  they  are,  of 
course,  also  largely  influenced  in  their  movements  by  the  wander- 
ings of  the  guanaco  herds,  which  form  their  principal  quarry. 

There  are  five  existing  camps  of  Indians  to  be  found  in 
Patagonia.  I  visited  two  of  them  and  a  third  small  outlying 
group.  Their  numbers  have  sadly  decreased  since  the  days  of  the 
opening  'seventies,  when  George  Chaworth  Musters  made  his 
abode  in  the  tribal  toldos  and  followed  with  them  in  their 
wanderings.  He  speaks  of  two  tribes  of  Tehuelches,  the  northern 
and  the  southern,  only  distinguishable  by  a  slight  difference  of 
dialect,  and  who  met  and  intermarried,  although  they  did  not 
object  to  espousing  opposite  sides  in  a  quarrel.  Other  tribes 
whom  he  mentions  did  not  inhabit  the  part  of  the  country  of  which 
I  am  writing. 

The  Tehuelches  proper  appear  to  have  been  fairly  prosperous 
and  numerous  in  his  day,  but  even  then  he  says,  speaking  of  them  : 
"  Supplies  of  rum  procured  in  trade  at  the  settlements  .  .  . 
and  disease,  small-pox  especially,  are  rapidly  diminishing  their 
numbers."  Things  have  undoubtedly  gone  from  bad  to  worse  in 
this  unhappy  direction,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  number 
of  Tehuelche  Indians  surviving  at  this  period  can  be  little  over  a 
few  hundreds  in  number.       Rum   is  undoubtedly  their  chief  foe. 

*  There  is,  however,  a  great  variation   in  the  development  of  the  lower  limbs  in 
different  individnals. 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  TEHUELCHES    89 

Drink   to  the  uncivilised  man  is  a  clanger  against  which  he  is  pro- 
vided with  no  defence,  either  social  or  moral.      Having-  once  tasted 


AKKOUHKAUS    AM;    KNIFE,    KUU.NU    .\1:AR    COLOHUAri,    CllLliUT.       (NuW    l.\    CuI.I.KCTION    OF 

MK.    E.    M.    SPKOT) 

its  fatal  pleasures,  he  has  no  reason  for  forbidding  himself  an 
indulgence  his  animal  nature  craves. 

Since  the  day  on  which  the  Spanish  adventurers  first  sighted 
the  Patagonian  coast,  perhaps  the  one  "event"  in  the  history  of 
the  Indians  may  truly  be  said  to  be  the  introduction  of  horses  into 
their  land.  Otherwise  they  seem  to  have  altered  little  in  their 
way  of  life.  Magellan  says  they  came  down  to  the  sh'p  clad  and 
shod  in  i^uanaco-skins  ;  thev  are  clad  and  shod  in  cruanaco-skins 
to-day.  Their  tools  and  knives  were  sharp-edged  flints  ;  I  have 
seen  the  Indians  skin  their  (juarry  with  precisely  the  same  weapons. 

Bows  and  arrows  were  indeed  in  use  among  the  tribes  when 
the  Spaniards  visited  the  coast  ;  these  ha\e  now  been  superseded 
b\"  the  do/eadores,  an  innovation  which  in  its  prcstiu  tnrm  came 
into   fashion    after  the    Indians    bet-an    to   know   the    value    of  the 


90  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

horse.  The  bolas  is  the  weapon  of  the  Tehuelche.  With  it  he 
kills  his  game,  and  with  it  also  he  catches  wild  colts,  and  finds  it 
useful  in  his  simple  process  of  training.  The  bolas  is  made  up  of 
three  thongs  of  raw  hide  fastened  together  at  one  end,  the  other 
free  ends  having  attached  to  them  stones  or  bits  of  pot-iron  sewn 
up  in  skin.  The  Indian  throws  his  weapon  with  marvellous 
accuracy  at  any  animal  he  may  be  pursuing,  and  the  thongs  coiling 
instantly  round  the  legs  or  neck  of  the  creature,  bring  it  to  the 
ground,  or,  at  any  rate,  entangle  it  hopelessly. 

It  may  w^ell  be  judged  that  this  race  have  no  history.  They 
remain  in  touch  with  the  methods  and  customs  according  to  which 
their  forefathers  were  wont  to  live  centuries  ago,  and  who  in  their 
turn  had  derived  them  from  still  older  oenerations,  ThouQ^h  most 
of  the  men  now  possess  cheap  store  knives  of  steel,  I  have  seen,  as 
I  said  before,  many  a  quarry  skinned  with  the  prehistoric  Hint 
knife.  They  are  an  intelligent  people,  indeed  keen  where  bar- 
gaining is  concerned,  as  long  as  they  are  sober  ;  yet  they  seem  to 
be  entirely  lacking  in  that  quality  which  would  enable  them  to 
forget  the  past  with  its  traditional  usages  and  methods,  and  to 
follow  even  remotely  the  sweeping  onward  rush  that,  like  a  tornado, 
carries  with  it  the  lasfijinor  races  of  mankind.  Although  the  men 
possess  unusual  strength,  they  do  not  in  the  least  know  how  to 
apply  it.  Their  faces  are  somewhat  fiat,  although  the  features  are 
more  or  less  cast  in  the  aquiline  mould,  and  fairly  regular.  The 
hair  is  coarse  and  lustreless,  its  blackness  relieved  by  a  fillet  or 
h  mdkerchief  of  scarlet.  Their  teeth  are  excellent,  toothache  being 
almost  unknown  in  their  tents.  Although  they  bathe,  I  have 
never  observed  among  them  any  article  that  would  in  any  way 
correspond  to  the  tooth-stick  of  other  nomadic  peoples.  Their 
beautiful  teeth  are  perhaps  due  to  their  habit  of  chewing  a  gummy 
substance  that  exudes  from  ihe  incensio  bush.  Musters,  in  his 
book,  says  they  use  this  as  a  dentifrice. 

The  women  are  not,  according  to  our  European  ideas,  beautiful, 
and  such  comeliness  as  they  may  sometimes  possess  in  youth 
blossoms  and  fades  cjuickly.  They  are,  however,  strong,  and 
much  of  the  camp  work  falls  to  their  share.  The  older  women  can 
boast  of  a  brand  of  u":liness  all   their  o\\  n.      Aoe  to  these  ladies 


I 


A   TEHUELCllF.   CACKjLIi 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE    TEHUELCHES    91 

brinas  several  vices  in  its  train.  Most  noticeable  is  a  cravino-  for 
strong  waters,  a  weakness  from  which  the  younger  women  are 
entirely  free. 

The  morality  of  the  Tehuelches  is,  on  the  whole,  admirable. 
Unfaithfulness  in  the  wife  is  rare,  and  not  often  bitterly  revenged. 
A  point  as  regards  the  morality  of  the  women  is  to  my  mind  rather 
luminous.  While  the  younger  chinas  are  unexceptionable  in  their 
moral  virtues,  the  older  women  cannot  be  so  hiohly  commended. 
They  are  rather  apt  to  wander  from  the  stricter  paths  of  decorum. 
When  the  husband  of  one  of  these  elderlv  houris  dies,  as  soon  as 
the  due  period  of  mourning  is  past,  the  bereaved  one  will  take  up 
with  any  male  in  her  tribe  for  either  a  longer  or  a  shorter  period. 
For  ugliness  sheer  and  unrivalled  these  grandmothers  of  the 
tribes  stand  alone.  Also,  as  they  get  on  in  years,  these  ladies 
often  run  to  fat.  I  remember  one  immense  woman  in  the  toidos  on 
the  pampas  between  Lake  Argentino  and  Gallegos,  who  had  put 
on  flesh  in  a  manner  and  to  an  extent  almost  unbelievable. 

The  younger  women,  while  the  flush  of  girlhood  is  still  upon 
them,  possess  a  certain  comeliness  which  I  can  only  describe  by 
the  adjectives  "savage"  and  "stolid."  Yet  the  abundant  coarse  black 
hair  hanging  round  the  heavily  quiet  faces,  in  which  the  features, 
though  flattened,  are  still  slightly  aquiline,  the  wide-open,  patient 
eyes,  the  healthful  colour,  and  the  strong,  white,  even  teeth,  which 
their  slow  smiles  disclose  to  vou.  make  them,  on  the  whole,  a 
personable  race. 

The  half-bloods,  as  is  usual,  often  possess  real  beauty,  the 
alien  strain  giving  them  that  vivacity  which  the  pure  race  seems 
to  lack. 

Some  of  the  pictures  show  an  unsightly  slic  of  the  lip  in  the 
case  of  a  few  paisanos.^  This  hare-lip  is  b\-  no  means  universal, 
but  is  an  hereditary  peculiarity  that  appears  in  many  of  the 
members  of  one  special  household.  The  arrival  of  a  stranger 
in  the  camp  makes  the  women  retire  sin  Iv  within  themselves, 
and  it   is  only   b\-  chance — as  it   is   in   the  case  of  wild  animals — 

"-'■■  This  name  is  preferred  by  the  Indians  themselves.  To  call  them  loi  Iiulios  is  a 
breach  of  etiquette.  Paisdiw  means,  of  course,  son  of  the  laud,  a  title  in  which  the 
Teheulche  takes  pride. 


92  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

that  the  new-comer  ever  sees  the  unaffected  and  natural  character 
shine  out.  When  in  contact  with  whites  the  Tehuelche  man  also 
becomes  reserved,  the  whole  expression  of  his  countenance 
changes,  and  he  is  very  suspicious  of  being  laughed  at,  a  point 
on  which  he  is  very  susceptible,  and  which  he  deeply  resents. 

I  cannot  but  think  that  the  constant  accusations  of  unclean- 
liness  that  have  been  brought  against  the  Tehuelche  Indians 
are  due  to  the  sino-le  fact  that  their  do«-s  are  allowed  to  live 
in  the  toldos.  The  result  in  a  countrv  where  scab  is  common 
may  be  left  to  the  imagination.  But,  apart  from  the  crawling 
things  which  inhabit  his  toldos,  the  Indian  is  fairly  cleanly, 
bathing  each  day  and  swimming  in  the  lakes  and  lagoons.  The 
women  make  excellent  mothers,  and  the  father  is  inordinately 
proud  of  his  offspring,  especially  of  his  sons.  Of  how  many 
races  can  so  many  good  things  be  truthfully  said } 

They  have  a  singular  custom  of  bandaging  the  heads  of 
infants  in  such  a  manner  as  to  produce  a  flattening  of  the  back 
of  the  skull.  It  might  be  worth  the  while  of  physiologists  to 
go  deeper  into  the  matter,  with  a  view  to  discovering  how  far  this 
alteration  in  the  brain-space  determines  the  character  of  the  indi- 
vidual operated  upon.  Interesting  results  might  thus  be  obtained 
and  some  vexed  problems  solved. 

A  certain  stage  in  the  life  of  each  girl  is  celebrated  by  a 
festivity  in  the  camp.  An  ornamented  toldo  is  put  up  temporarily 
for  the  girl's  occupation,  and  the  young  men  of  the  tribe  march 
round  it  singing  while  the  women  howl,  probably  with  a  view 
to  exorcising  any  evil  spirit  who  may  be  lingering  about  the 
camp.*  The  ceremony  is  followed  by  a  feast,  and  the  evening 
winds  up  with  a  dance.  The  men  alone  take  part  in  this,  and 
it  consists  in  circling  round  the  fire,  pacing  sometimes  slowly 
and  sometimes  quickly.  A  few  dance  at  a  time,  accompanying 
their  movements  with  a  constant  bowino-  or  noddino-  of  the 
head,  which  is  adorned  with  tufts  of  ostrich  feathers.  When 
one  party  is  tired  out  another  takes  its  place. 

Wives,  of  course,  are  bought  and  sold,  but  when  a  lady  is 
purchased    by    a  suitor   whom   she    happens    to    dislike,   there    is 

■-■'•  The  evil  spirit  is  supposed  to  take  up  its  quarters  behind  the  toldos. 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  TEHUELCHES    9 


t 


trouble  for  the  bridegroom,  and  conjugal  obedience  is  only 
enforced  after  struggles,  of  which  the  not  infrequent  result  is  that 
the  mark  of  the  lady's  teeth  remains  permanently  upon  her  lord. 

The  price  of  a  wife  varies,  as  must  be  expected  in  the  natural 
course  of  things.  Strangely  enough,  a  girl's  value  often  depends  upon 
the  number  of  her  brethren,  who  must  receive  two  horses  apiece. 
To  buy  a  bride  with  means  or  rather  animals  of  her  own,  an  heiress 
in  fact,  who  comes  of  well-to-do  people,  as  much  as  a  hundred 
mares  have  been  given — or  shall  I  say  paid,* 

When  desirous  of  carrying  on  matrimonial  negotiations  the 
would-be  bridegroom  must  always  employ  a  go-between.  To  omit 
this  ceremonial  method  of  approach  would  be  an  outrage  on 
etiquette.  I  conclude,  though  I  do  not  know  it  for  a  fact  as  regards 
Patagonia,  that  the  go-between  in  that  country  gets  his  pickings 
from  both  sides  as  his  cono-ener  does  elsewhere. 

The  marriage  ceremony  is  delightfully  simple.  After  the  pre- 
liminary bargaining  has  been  successfully  brought  to  a  close,  the 
happy  bridegroom  mounts  his  horse  and  rides  to  the  toldo  of  his 
intended  and  hands  over  his  appointed  gifts,  receiving  those  of  the 
parents  in  return.  He  then  carries  back  his  bride  amid  the  cheers 
and  cries  of  his  friends,  and  in  the  evening  there  is  a  feast. 
Musters  remarks  that  on  these  occasions  the  dogs  are  not  permitted 
to  touch  the  meat  or  offal  of  the  animals  killed,  as  it  is  considered 
unlucky  if  they  do  so. 

The  gifts  which  are  exchanged  between  the  parties  form  in  a 
more  or  less  degree  a  marriage  settlement,  for  in  case  of  divorce 
her  parents'  gifts  accrue  to  the  wife.  Polygamy  is  allowed  but  not 
much  practised  among  the  tribes. 

Few  phenomena  are  to  my  mind  more  unaccountable  than  the 
action  of  the  white  man  who  "ooes  fantee." 

o 

"  Went  fantee,  joined  the  people  of  the  land, 
Turned  three  parts  Mussulman  and  one  Hindoo, 
And  lived  among  the  Gauri  villages, 
Who  gave  him  shelter  and  a  wife  or  twain." 

*  While  prosecuting  the  inquiries  which  led  to  the  compilation  of  this  account  of 
the  Tehuclches  it  was  thought  that  the  author  desired  Lo  take  a  bride  from  the  toliios. 
He  was  informed  that  seven  mares  would  purchase  a  young  and  efficient  helpmate. 


94  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

This  singular  mental  or  moral  warp  which  results  in  a  man 
"  troino"  fantee  "  is  by  no  means  uncommon  in  Patagonia.  Of 
course,  as  may  be  imagined,  a  certain  proportion  of  such  men  fall 
to  this  condition  at  the  end  of  the  career  variegated.  Others 
prefer  ruling  in  Cathay  to  serving  in  any  other  community  more 
dienified  ;  others  aoain  take  dauo'hters  of  the  land  to  wife  because 
their  trade  lies  with  the  Indians. 

There  is,  however,  one  very  strong  objection  to  this  latter 
course  of  marrying,  Tehuelche  fashion,  a  c/ihm  of  the  toldos, 
and  that  is  that  all  the  relatives  of  the  lady  in  question  are  apt  to 
quarter  themselves  upon  the  bridegroom.  Occasionally  the  white 
man  objects,  but  I  imagine  that  the  cases  of  those  who  object  suc- 
cessfully are  rare.  But  there  is  one  cstanciero  in  Patagonia  who  is 
the  father  of  two  buxom  daughters  by  a  Tehuelche  wife.  These 
girls  are  now  grown  up,  and  their  tribe  was  encamped  during  the 
winter  of  1900  not  two  hours'  ride  from  the  dwelling-place  of  their 
father.  Yet  I  am  assured  the  father  never  aided  the  tribe  or  his 
own  offspring  in  any  way,  although  that  winter  was  so  severe  that 
starvation  visited  the  ioldos  of  the  tribe.  A  man  of  this  mettle  is, 
however,  not  frequently  to  be  heard  of,  and  cases  of  a  quite  laud- 
able affection  haviny:  existed  between  a  white  man  and  a  china  are 
on  record. 

But,  at  the  same  time,  it  must  be  repeated  that  the  inHuence  of 
the  white  who  goes  to  live  among  the  Indians  as  one  of  themselves, 
almost  without  exception,  makes  for  evil.  I  have  already  spoken 
of  the  offspring  of  the  mixed  unions.  The  Tehuelche  blood  gives 
to  the  faces  of  the  half-breed  women  an  expression  of  sad  patience, 
while  the  Spanish  connection  adds  certainly  to  their  gift  of  beauty. 

The  women  have  very  simple  ideas  of  adornment.  They 
generally  take  the  form  of  silver  necklets  and  the  red  fillet  bound 
in  their  hair.^'  Their  dress  is  composed  of  the  picturesque  guanaco- 
skin  capa,  or  mantle,  worn  with  the  wool  inside.  Woman,  to  tell  the 
truth,  holds  no  such  bad  position  among  the  Patagonian  Indians. 
She  does  the  cooking,  but  little  else  that  can  be  called  hard  work, 
except  the  taking  down  and  pitching  of  the  ioldos  when  the  tribe 
break  camp.    They  carry  on  a  slack  industry  in  the  form  of  weaving 

■■'  Tehuelche  beauties  are  uot  above  wearing  a  tail  of  false  hair. 


fmrnm 


TMfliiltr'ir- 


TKIIUEIX-HE    MATROX,    SFK  )\\IX(  i    H  ARF.-LIP 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  TEHUELCHES    95 

pjnchos  from  guanaco  wool.  Some  species  of  earth  is  used  for 
dyeing  the  wool,  b'Jt  the  resulting  colours  are  dull.  In  this  parti- 
cular the  Tehuelches  differ  from  the  Indians  of  the  northern 
pampas,  whose  dyeing  materials  are  derived  from  herbs,  and  '^ive 
brighter  tints.  T\iQ'=,&  poncJios  and  saddle-rugs  made  by  the  cJiinas 
are  much  prized  and  sought  after  as  curiosities,  hence  the  makers 
demand  very  high  prices  for  them — even  up  to  thirty  or  forty 
dollars  each. 

The  women  also  spend  some  of  their  time  in  sewino-  tog-erher 
the  skins  of  ofuanaco  or  ostriches  into  rugrs,  usincr  sinews  for 
thread.  Ru^s  of  this  kind  and  bunches  of  ostrich  feathers  form 
the  staple  commodities  which  they  offer  at  the  settlements  for  sale. 

The  hair  of  the  adult  animal,  being  harsh  and  coarse,  is  of  less 
value  in  the  market  than  that  of  the  vouno-  o-uanaco  ;  therefore 
the  hunters  endeavour  to  secure  chieriy  the  pelts  of  tl.e  young 
ouanaco,  some  of  the  ruos  beinor  even  made  from  the  skin  of  the 
unborn,  which  is  cut  out  of  the  mother  a  few  days  previous  to 
the  date  when  they  would  naturally  be  dropped.  At  certain 
seasons  enormous  numbers  of  these  pelts  are  to  be  seen  drying, 
pegged  out,  beside  the  Indian  toldos. 

The  time  of  year  durin''"  which  the  huntino-  of  cruanaco  c/iicos, 
or  little  ones,  is  carried  on  includes  the  latter  half  of  October  and 
the  month  of  November. 

I  am  afraid  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  Tehuelches  are  a  very 
lazy  race.  Nearly  everything  which  makes  any  demand  upon  their 
energies — with  the  exception  of  hunting — seems  too  much  trouble 
for  them  to  do.  Few  individuals  become  even  comparativclv  rich, 
and  even  then  live  none  the  better  for  it.      One  could  never  cruess 

o 

whether  a  man  were  rich  or  poor  by  his  dress  ;  he  carries  no  sign 
of  improved  circumstances  in  his  person  or  bearing.  The  owner 
of  two  thousand  beasts  will  come  into  camp  and  sit  by  your  fire, 
putting  in  a  plea  with  the  humblest  for  a  cupful  of  tNatc.  Occa- 
sional]}' an  Indian  will  act  as  a  guide  across  the  empty  distances 
of  the  pampas.  They  have  an  excellent  idea  of  the  value  of  their 
services  and  of  the  ^p■c\\)(iv peso  of  the  Argentine  Rej)ul)lic.  They 
set  a  high  price  upon  themselves — cxvaqueauo,  or  guide,  demanding 
five  dollars  a  day  or  seventy  dollars  a  month. 


96  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

But  however  this  quality  may  seem  to  approximate  to  civilisa- 
tion, tlie  customs  with  which  he  still  surrounds  the  events  of  birth, 
sickness,  and  death  are  the  old  cruel  forms  that  have  been  per- 
petuated through  the  ages,  and  they  stamp  him  as  remaining  even 
to  this  day  the  very  slightly  diluted  savage. 

In  some  cases  when  a  child  is  born,  a  cow  or  mare  is  killed, 
the  stomach  taken  out  and  cut  open,  and  into  this  receptacle  while 
still  warm  the  child  is  laid.  Upon  the  remainder  of  the  animal 
the  tribe  feast,  and  when  they  feast  they  carry  out  the  notion 
thoroughly.  After  eating  their  fill,  they  lie  about  gorged  and  half 
insensible  and  let  the  world  spin  on.  This  is  a  quiet  festivity,  and 
only  takes  place  in  this  modified  form  when  the  tribe  happen  to 
be  out  of  fire-water. 

But  should  there  be  liquor  at  hand,  the  younger  women,  who 
never  drink  on  such  occasions,  go  round  beforehand  and  gather  up 
every  knife,  hatchet,  or,  in  fact,  all  and  any  weapon  they  can  find, 
and  bury  them  in  some  hidden  spot  about  the  camp.*  This 
custom,  which  is  in  its  own  way  pathetic,  speaks  for  itself.  Under 
the  influence  of  liquor  the  nature  of  the  peaceable  Indian  becomes 
completely  changed.  It  maddens  him,  and  the  dance  round  the 
fires  often  ends  in  a  free  fight. 

A  variation  of  the  foregoing  birth-ceremony  is  yet  more  savage. 
If  a  boy  is  born,  his  tribe  catch  a  mare  or  a  colt — if  the  father  be 
rich  and  a  great  man  among  his  people,  the  former  ;  if  not,  the 
latter — a  lasso  is  placed  round  each  leg,  a  couple  round  the  neck, 
and  a  couple  round  the  body.  The  tribe  distribute  themselves 
at  the  various  ends  of  these  lassos  and  take  hold.  The  animal 
being  thus  supported  cannot  fall.  The  father  of  the  child  now 
advances  and  cuts  the  mare  or  colt  open  from  the  neck  down- 
wards, the  heart,  &c.,  is  torn  out,  and  the  baby  placed  in  the 
cavity.  The  desire  is  to  keep  the  animal  quivering  until  the  child 
is  put  inside.  By  this  means  they  believe  that  they  ensure  the 
child's  becominof  a  fine  horseman  in  the  future.! 

o 

-  On  the  occasions  I  describe,  even  the  asadores  (iron  spits  three  feet  in  length  and 
sharpened  at  the  end  which  enters  the  grovmd)  are  taken  away  and  buried  by  the 
young  women. 

f  These  customs  are  now  dying  out. 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  TEHUELCHES    97 

If  an  Indian  dies  the  place  becomes  accursed.  The  camp  is 
immediately  removed  to  a  fresh  locality.  When  the  dead  man  or 
woman  is  buried,  certain  ceremonies  are  observed  about  the  o-rave, 
evidently  with  a  view  to  enabling-  the  departed  to  start  in  another 
life  with  an  adequate  outfit.  Horses  and  dofjs  are  slauo-htered 
so  that  he  may  have  the  means  to  pursue  and  kill  the  guanaco  in 
the  land  of  ghosts.  Food  and  dead  game  are  also  placed  in  the 
grave  to  supply  his  needs  at  the  outset  of  the  new  existence. 
Should  the  dead  happen  to  be  a  child  or  a  person  of  tender  years, 
fillies  and  colts  are  slaughtered  at  the  burial. 

In  former  times,  and  in  fact  until  quite  recent  years,  it  used  to 
be  the  custom  to  place  beside  the  corpse  the  silver-mounted  horse- 
gear  of  the  dead  man,  and  to  close  the  grave  upon  it.  In  a  land 
where  life  depends  not  infrequently  upon  the  strength  of  your  raw- 
hide head-stall,  for  instance,  the  value  of  sound  gear  is  properly 
appreciated  ;  therefore  this  particular  precaution  for  the  welfare  of 
the  dead  shows  a  very  practical  solicitude  on  the  part  of  the  sur- 
vivors. To-day  the  Tehuelches  still  bury  these  possessions  in  the 
grave,  but  the  custom  is  only  continued  with  a  reservation.  In- 
stead of  leaving  the  valuable  gear  under  the  earth  for  all  time, 
they  now  at  the  end  of  a  twelvemonth  dig  it  up  again.  How 
they  reconcile  this  economical  arrangement  with  the  comfort  of 
their  lost  friend  I  do  not  know,  but  it  may  be  suggested  that  they 
imagine  the  inhabitant  of  another  world  has  had  full  time  in  the 
course  of  a  year  to  make  suitable  new  gear  for  himself. 

The  relii^ion  of  the  Indians  is  interestinij.  It  consists,  of 
course,  in  the  old  simple  beliefs  in  good  spirits  and  devils,  but 
chiefly  devils,  which,  with  variations  dependent  on  climate  and 
physical  environment,  represent  all  over  the  world  the  spiritual 
creeds  of  uncivilised  races.  The  dominant  Spirit  of  Evil,  as  feared 
by  the  Tehuelches,  is  called  the  Gualicho.  And  he  abides  as  an 
ever-present  terror  behind  their  strange,  free,  and  superstitious 
lives.  They  spend  no  small  portion  of  their  time  in  cither  fleeing 
from  his  wrath  or  in  propitiating  it.  \'()u  may  wake  in  the  dawn 
to  see  a  band  of  Indians  suddenly  rise  and  leap  upon  their  horses, 
and  gallop  away  across  the  pampa,  howling  ami  gesticulating. 
They  are  merely  scaring  the  Gualicho  away  from  their  tents  back 

G 


98  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

to  his  haunts  In  the  Cordillera — the  wild  and  unpenetrated  moun- 
tains, where  he  and  his  subordinate  demons  groan  in  chosen  spots 
the  lone  nio^hts  throuQrh, 

The  expedition  under  my  command  happened  to  encamp  near 
one  such  place  upon  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Rica.  It  was  a 
moonlight  night,  and  loud  rushing  noises  broke  the  peace  of  every 
hour  of  it.  There  happened  to  be  a  huge  glacier  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  lake,  from  which  great  pieces  became  detached  at 
frequent  intervals  (for  the  mass  of  the  glacier  overhung  the  cliff), 
and  these  plunged  with  strange,  loud  explosions,  I  might  almost 
call  them,  into  the  water.  Such  are  the  noises  that  terrify  the 
Indian ;  he  cannot  explain  them,  and  it  is  small  wonder  they  excite 
his  fears  in  the  highest  degree.  For  it  must  be  remembered  that 
in  all  practical  ways  the  Tehuelche  is  a  very  brave  man.  Yet  no 
pay  can  tempt  him  within  the  region  of  the  Cordilleras,  where  to 
his  superstitious  mind  the  near  presence  of  the  Gualicho  is  mani- 
fested by  those  awful  groanings  and  sounds  which  no  human 
agency  known  to  him  could  by  any  possibility  produce. 

In  common  with  other  savage  peoples,  the  Tehuelches  believe 
the  Good  Spirit  to  be  of  a  far  more  quiescent  habit  than  the  spirits 
of  evil.  Long  ago,  at  the  epoch  of  Creation  perhaps,  the  Good 
Spirit  made  one  effort  for  the  benefit  of  mankind,*  but  since  then  he 
has  been  otherwise  occupied,  and  shown  himself  little  interested 
with  earthly  matters.  Like  Baal,  he  is  perchance  upon  a  journey, 
or  perchance  he  is  sleeping.  The  result  is  the  same  ;  his 
worshippers  must  take  care  of  themselves  as  well  as  they  can,  and 
the  best  method  which  offers  is  to  ward  off  by  all  means  in  their 
power  the  attacks  of  the  maleficent  influence.  For  the  Gualicho 
is  of  a  very  active  disposition,  and  shows  no  scorn  of  small 
things.  On  the  contrary,  he  is  quite  capable  of  descending  upon 
a  single  Indian  to  punish  him  for  an  offence  and  to  work  him 
harm. 

It  is  a  humiliating  reflection  that  the  great  mass  of  peoples  have 
always  been,  and  will  always  be,  far  more  ready  and  fervent  in 
propitiating  an  evil  spirit,  or  endeavouring  to  avert  the  action  of 

*  According  to  Tehuelche  beliefs,  the  Good  Spirit  created  the  animals  in  the  caves 
of  a  certain  mountain  called  "  God's  Hill,"  and  gave  them  to  his  people  for  food. 


y. 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  TEHUELCHES    99 

any  punishing  power,  than  in  seeking  the  favour  of  the  Good 
Spirit  or  returning  him  thanks  for  benefits  received.  Human 
nature  under  the  frock-coat  of  civihsation  is  much  the  same  as 
under  the  capa  of  the  Tehuelche. 

By  inference  one  can  see  that  the  Patagonian  beHeves  in  a 
future  Hfe — a  Hfe  much  on  the  Hues  of  his  earthly  one,  but 
abounding  in  those  things  which  he  most  desires,  and  which  here 
he  finds  in  short  measure.  I  only  know  that  the  land  he  is  going 
to  after  death  is  a  land  flowing,  not  with  milk  and  honey,  but  with 
grease.  On  the  pampas  of  life  here  below  the  guanaco  is  lean  and 
seldom  yields  an  ounce  of  fat,  and  as  I  have  myself  experienced 
the  craving  for  fat,  or  fat-hunger,  I  know  it  to  be  a  very  real  and 
uncomfortable  demand  of  the  human  system.  But  in  the 
Patagonian  Beyond  the  guanaco  herds  will  be  plump  and  well 
provided  with  supplies  of  suet,  and  the  califate-bushes  always  laden 
w.th  ripe  and  purple  berries. 

The  traditions  of  the  tribes  go  back  to  the  epoch  when 
they  hunted  on  foot  and  used  bows  and  arrows,  as  well  as  the 
tolas,  armed  with  a  large  single  ball  of  stone.  That  period  may 
be  one  hundred,  or  possibly  a  hundred  and  fifty,  years  ago. 
Then  a  tribe  of  Pampa  Indians  rode  down  out  of  the  north  and 
brought  to  the  Tehuelches  the  inestimable  boon  of  horses. 

At  the  present  day  no  worse  evil  can  happen  to  an  Indian 
than  to  be  left  without  a  horse  and  dependent  on  his  own  legs. 
He  rides  perpetually,  and  in  consequence  has  almost  lost  the 
walking  capabilities  of  other  men.*  He  lives  upon  horseback,  and 
there  earns  his  living,  so  to  speak.  With  his  dogs  he  rides  down 
his  game,  but  he  has  no  skill  in  tracking  any  more  than  the  dogs. 
l>ut,  for  all  that,  his  sight  is  keen  ;  the  quality  of  extraordinary 
long-sightedness,  which  distinguishes  men  used  to  scanning  vast 
levels  of  sea  or  land,  is  essentially  his. 

The  Tehuelche,  although  in  many  ways  offering  a  complete 
contrast,  yet  in  some  points  forms  a  strange  parallel   to  the  Esqui- 

■■■  Here  I  disaf^ree  with  Captain  G.  C.  Musters,  who  claims  excellont  walkin.c;  powers 
for  the  Tehuelches.  That  they  can  walk  well  if  forced  to  do  so  is  possible,  but  we  need 
look  no  farther  than  their  boots  to  perceive  that  they  rarely  go  afoot.  The  Patagonian 
pampas  are  covered  with  thorn  and  tin-  thin  foot-covering  of  the  Indians  would  be  torn 
to  pieces  in  the  course  of  a  two-hours  tramp  over  such  ground. 


loo         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

maux.  The  Esquimaux  has  never  seen  a  horse,  the  Tehuelche 
never  uses  a  boat,  althouo-h  his  land  abounds  in  sheets  of  water. 
Both  races  are  eminently  slug-o-ish  and  peaceable.  Both  fear  evil 
spirits,  which  they  fancy  live  in  particular  localities.  It  is  indeed 
a  far  cry  from  Greenland  to  Patagonia,  but  if  you  substitute  the 
horse  for  the  kayak  and  the  seal  for  the  guanaco,  you  will  find  that, 
although  separated  by  space  and  race  and  circumstance,  a  certain 
resemblance  between  the  people  of  the  Far  South  and  of  the  Far 
North  exists.     And  of  both  races  little  evil  can  be  said. 

These  primitive  peoples,  living  close  to  nature,  divided  from 
man's  original  state  only  by  the  thinnest  and  filmiest  of  partitions, 
attain  in  a  wonderful  degree  the  art  of  doing  without  things.  The 
Esquimaux  starts  upon  a  long  day's  hunting,  with  the  thermometer 
marking  many  degrees  below  zero,  upon  nothing  save  a  drink  of 
water!  A  luxury  such  as  coffee  is  said  to  enervate  him.*  The 
Patagonian  Indian  rides  out  of  a  morning  having  taken  nothing  at 
all  in  the  way  of  sustenance.  But  he  puts  a  pinch  of  salt  in  his 
belt,  and  when  his  dogs  pull  down  their  first  guanaco  or  ostrich, 
he  draws  off  the  blood  and  swallows  it  mixed  with  salt. 

The  tribes  live  to  a  considerable  extent  on  guanaco,  and  it  is 
practically  their  life-work  to  follow  the  wanderings  of  the  herds 
througfh  the  chant^inof  seasons.  But  the  flesh  of  the  ostrich  is 
more  palatable,  and  is,  consequently,  preferred  when  it  can  be  pro- 
cured. They  drink  mate  in  large  quantities,  which,  as  has  been 
shown,  is  the  universal  habit  on  the  pampas,  where  it  is,  in  fact, 
indispensable,  supplying,  as  it  does,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  place 
of  vegetables,  besides  having  the  valuable  quality  of  refreshing 
and  invigorating  in  a  quite  extraordinary  degree. 

They  rarely  smoke  pure  tobacco  ;  it  is  too  precious.  They 
mix  it  with  about  80  per  cent,  of  califate-wood  shavings.  Once, 
when  short  of  tobacco,  I  tried  their  mixture,  and  in  truth  there  are 
many  worse  smokes  upon  the  English  and  American  markets. 
The  califate  is  certainly  a  little  acrid,  but  burns  with  a  very  blue 
smoke.  I  fancy  one  could  get  on  tolerably  well  with  this  faked 
tobacco,  aided  by  a  bit  of  imagination  and  a  strong  throat. 

For  the  most  part  the  tribes  use  stone  pipes  of  a  very  singular 

'■••  Nansen's  "  Esquimaux  Life." 


TEIRELCHE   MATRONS 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  TEHUELCHES   loi 

coffin-like  shape.  One  Indian,  however,  possessed  a  silver  pipe, 
the  stem  of  which  had  begun  life  as  a  dombilla,  or  silver  tube  for 
drinking"  luate  through.  Musters  mentions  frequently  seeing  the 
men  become  insensible  after  smoking,  which  would  lead  to  the 
supposition  that  they  use  some  drug  corresponding  in  its  effects  to 
opium.  I  never  observed  a  single  instance  of  this  sort,  although  I 
smoked  the  camp-fire  pipe  on  many  occasions  with  Tehuelches. 
In  fact,  of  those  I  met,  two  out  of  three  were  not  smokers 
at  all. 

The  language  of  these  people  is  very  guttural,  and  one  word 
is  used  to  signify  a  number  of  different  things,  which  proves  its 
elementary  and  simple  character.  In  most  of  their  camps  Spanish 
is  understood  more  or  less,  and  with  even  a  slioht  knowledge  of  this 
tongue  one  can  get  on  very  well. 

Practically  the  Patagonian  is  governed  by  no  tribal  laws.  He 
does  not  need  their  restraint,  for,  save  when  drunk,  he  seldom 
commits  crimes  of  greater  or  less  magnitude.  In  politics  he  is 
democratic  apparently,  for  though  it  is  true  that  a  cacique  is  at  the 
head  of  each  camp,  his  authority  seems  limited  to  ordering  the  plan 
of  the  hunt.  If  any  individual  objects  he  can  leave  the  community, 
an  alternative  extremely  distasteful  to  so  gregarious  a  people. 
Quarrels  and  fights  are  of  very  rare  occurrence,  except  when  there  is 
drink  in  the  tents.  The  natural  peacefulness  of  the  Indian  is  cer- 
tainly commendable,  for  his  muscular  development  is  enormous.  H^: 
can  tear  the  skin  from  a  guanaco  after  merely  raising  enough  with 
his  knife  to  give  him  a  hand-grip. 

Once  it  was  a  free  and  a  happy  life  that  they  lived,  with  fortunes 
ruled  by  the  changing  of  the  seasons.  In  those  days,  five-and- 
twenty  years  ago,  they  were  scattered  throughout  the  country, 
moving  along  the  Indian  trail.  Now,  in  the  whole  of  my  long 
travel  through  Patagonia,  I  came  upon  only  three  encampments 
of  them,  and  I  have  reason  to  believe  I  visited  nearly  every  one 
that  exists  at  the  present  day.  It  is  probable  that  I  may  be  their 
last  chronicler  ;  they  will  be  brushed  off  the  face  of  the  earth  by 
the  sweeping  besom  that  deals  so  hardly  with  aboriginal  races,  and 
is  known  as  "civilisation." 

The  cause  of  their  disappearance  is  not  far  to  seek.      Vou  may 


I02         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

dust  a  savage  people  with  Martinis  and  increase  their  manhood, 
if  the  punishment  be  not  severe  and  too  prolonged,  but  as  sure  as 
the  whisky  bottle — the  raw,  cheap,  rot-gut  country  spirit — is 
introduced  among  them,  a  primitive  people  is  doomed.  In  all  sorts 
of  places  in  the  world  I  have  seen  this  baleful  influence  at  work. 

The  Indians,  as  I  knew  them,  are  a  kind-hearted,  docile  and 
lazy  race.  In  all  the  dealings  I  had  with  them  I  found  them 
invariably  most  courteous.  Treat  them  as  you  desire  they  should 
treat  you,  and  not  in  the  odious  "  poor-devil-of-a-heathen,  beast- 
of-a-savage  "  sort  of  style,  which  obtains  with  some  of  our  own 
countrymen  abroad,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  and  you  will  receive  a  grave 
and  quiet  consideration,  and  they  will  call  you  biien  hombre,  a  good 
man. 

Progress,  the  white  man's  shibboleth,  has  no  meaning  for  the 
Patagonian.  He  is  losing  ground  day  by  day  in  the  wild  onward 
rush  of  mankind.  Our  ideas  do  not  appeal  to  him.  He  has 
neither  part  nor  lot  in  the  feverish  desires  and  ambitions  that  move 
us  so  strongly.  As  his  forefathers  were,  so  is  he — content  to  live 
and  die  a  human  item  with  a  moving  home,  passing  hither  and 
thither  upon  the  waste  and  open  spaces  of  his  native  land.  He  is 
far  too  single-minded  and  too  dignified  to  stoop  to  a  cheap  imita- 
tion. He  does  not  shout  aloud  that  he  is  the  equal  of  the  white 
man,  as  more  vulgar  races  do.  It  has  often  struck  me  that  the 
primitive  races  of  the  world  might  be  put  under  two  heads — the 
men  of  silence  and  the  men  of  uproar.  Among  the  men  of  silence 
we  have  the  Zulu,  the  North  American  Indian,  the  Tehuelche,  and 
some  others.  These  silent  peoples  cannot  exist,  like  the  negroes, 
as  the  camp  followers  of  civilisation.  They  have  not  the  ya  hoop 
imitative  faculty  of  the  negro  race.  They  are  hunters,  men  of 
silence  and  of  a  great  reserve.  When  they  meet  with  the  white 
man,  they  do  not  rush  open-mouthed  to  swallow  his  customs. 

The  men  of  silence  will,  in  the  savage  state,  take  a  hint  as 
quickly  as  an  English  gentleman  ;  the  men  of  uproar  will  only 
accept  a  hint  when  it  is  backed  by  a  command.  The  Tehuelche 
will  not  remain  at  a  camp-fire  where  he  is  not  wanted.  He  lacks 
passion,  perhaps,  but  appreciation  pleases  him.  His  dignified 
courtesy  can  best  be  exemplified  by  a  story. 


A  Ti'.iirKLciiK  i',i:.\rTV 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  TEHUELCHES  103 

At  one  time,  while  we  were  travelling  across  the  pampas  and 
had  camped  for  the  night,  an  Indian  rode  in  upon  us  in  the  twilight. 
The  Indian  did  not  talk  Spanish,  nor  could  we  speak  Tehuelchian. 
In  silence  he  joined  us  at  our  evening  meal  and  stopped  after- 
wards to  smoke  a  pipe  of  tobacco,  then  he  got  to  horse  and  rode 
away. 

The  next  morning  our  horses  were  missing;  they  had  evidently 
strayed  during  the  night.  I  went  out  to  look  for  them,  and  after  a 
time  saw  them  far  away  across  the  pampa  advancing  towards  me 
in  a  compact  mob.  A  rider  was  driving  them  up.  As  soon  as  he 
saw  me,  and  I  had  recognised  our  guest  of  the  preceding  evening, 
he  sent  forward  the  horses  at  a  gallop  in  my  direction,  and,  wheel- 
ing" round,  was  off  and  out  of  sight  in  a  moment.  He  did  not  wait 
to  be  thanked,  and  yet  it  was  obvious,  from  the  condition  of  the 
horses,  that  he  must  have  found  them  a  long  way  off  and  driven 
them  for  a  considerable  distance.  It  is  in  courtesies  of  this  kind 
that  the  silent  peoples  excel. 

I  am  no  wild  admirer  of  the  noble  savage.  He  is,  generally 
speaking,  a  highly  objectionable  person.  But  to  see  a  race — -so 
kindly,  picturesque,  and  gifted  with  fine  qualities  of  body  and 
mind — such  as  the  Tehuelches,  absolutely  at  hand-grips  with 
extinction,  seems  to  me  one  of  the  saddest  results  of  the  grow- 
inor  domination  of  the  white  man  and  his  methods  of  civilisation. 


CHAPTER   VII 

TEHUELCHE    METHODS   OF   HUNTING 

Hunting  season — Surefooted  horses — Description  of  big  hunt — Ring  round 
game — Splendid  riding  of  Tehuelches — Horses  dishke  jumping — Game  killed 
and  spared  by  Tehuelches — Difference  of  their  hunting  methods  from  those  of 
the  Onas  of  Tierra  del  Fuego — Artistic  perception  of  Onas — Ill-faith  of  early 
settlers — Indian  trail — "No  place  for  us" — Deterioration  of  horses — They 
prize  piebalds — Method  of  breaking  in — Perfect  riders — Helpless  on  foot — 
Staying  powers  of  horses — Dogs — Evil  of  liquor  trade — National  sin  of  per- 
mitting this  traffic — Picture  of  trader — Drinking  bout  of  Tehuelches — Gambling 
for  horses — Fatal  weakness  of  Tehuelches — Another  instance. 

During  the  latter  half  of  October  and  during  November,  which 
is  the  Patagonian  spring,  the  Tehuelches  hunt  the  guanaco  ckicos, 
or  young  guanaco. 

At  this  period  the  young  have  not  all  been  dropped,  and  the 
most  prized  pelts  are  those  of  the  unborn  young,  which  are  obtained 
by  killing  the  mother.  These  pelts,  being  very  soft  and  fine  in 
texture,  are  used  to  make  the  most  valuable  capas  or  robes,  and  if 
sold  out  of  the  tribes  at  the  settlements,  bring  in  the  highest  prices. 

At  this  season  the  Indians  move  to  their  favourite  huntino- 
grounds;  it  is,  in  fact,  to  them  the  most  important  period  of  the  year. 
Two  requisites  are  necessary  to  make  their  hunting  a  success  :  the 
first  is  plenty  of  game,  and  in  this  there  is  rarely  any  disappoint- 
ment ;  the  second  is  cfood  grround  on  which  to  hunt  it.  As  lone, 
however,  as  the  guanaco  do  not  take  absolutely  to  the  crags,  the 
Indians,  with  the  help  of  their  sure-footed  unshod  horses,  are  able 
to  levy  a  heavy  toll  on  the  herds. 

The  method  of  hunting  adopted  by  the  Tehuelches  is  interest- 
ing enough  to  call  for  description  at  length.  On  the  morning  of 
the  hunt,  the  Indians  saddle  up  a  good  long-journey  horse  apiece, 
they  also  catch  each  man  his  fastest  mount,  upon  which  he  puts  a 


FOR  OSTRICH  FOR  GUANACO 


FOR    HOKSF.S 


i 


BOLEADORES 
{In  the  Collfctioii  of  Die  .■li//Aor) 


TEHUELCHE  METHODS  OF  HUNTING  105 

bozal  and  cabresto,  as  well  as  a  bit  in  his  mouth.  The  hunter 
rides  the  former  horse,  and  leads  the  latter  for  use  later  on. 

The  biij  herds  of  o-uanaco  have  meantime  been  located,  and  the 
plan  of  the  day's  hunt  arranged  by  the  caciqtie.  All  the  hunters 
start  forth  in  couples,  riding'  in  different  directions,  and  so  form  an 
immense  circle,  into  the  centre  of  which  they  systematically  drive 
the  game.  They  then  signal  their  whereabouts  to  one  another 
by  means  of  smokes  until  the  ring  round  the  guanaco  is  complete. 
Each  hunter  is  accompanied  by  his  dogs,  of  which  he  possesses 
probably  a  score.  Six  or  eight  gaunt  hounds  of  no  particular 
breed,  but  whose  characteristic  points  run  chiefly  to  legs  and  teeth, 
follow  their  master.  As  the  circle  narrows  the  terrified  game 
huddle  together  in  the  centre  of  it,  and  there  may  be  seen  hundreds 
of  guanaco,  many  ostriches,  and  possibly  a  puma  or  two.  The 
guanaco  bucks  pace  upon  the  edge  of  the  herd,  and  give  out  their 
neighing,  half-defiant  call  as  their  human  enemies  approach. 

The  positions  assumed  by  guanaco  when  under  the  influence 
of  curiosity  and  fear  are  most  singular.  They  will  stand  staring 
at  the  Indians  for  many  seconds,  and  will  then  dash  off  at  a  wild 
gallop  with  the  strange  leaping  run  peculiar  to  them.  The  necks, 
too,  swing  and  sway  at  all  conceivable  angles,  and  whenever  their 
ears  are  assailed  by  a  sudden  sound,  I  have  seen  a  whole  herd,  up- 
wards of  one  hundred  strong,  sway  their  necks  to  within  a  couple 
of  inches  of  the  o-round  almost  in  unison. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Indians  draw  remorselessly  nearer,  dis- 
mouni  from  their  saddle-horses,  leap  on  their  led  animals,  and  pre- 
cipitate themselves  from  all  sides  upon  the  frantic  herds.  The  horses 
that  are  left  have  generally  been  carefully  schooled  to  stand  when 
their  reins  are  dropped  forward  to  the  ground  over  their  heads.  The 
Indians  howl  and  roar  as  they  dash  down  upon  the  guanaco, 
whirling  their  boleadores  round  their  heads.  This  bolas,  with  which 
they  hunt  the  guanaco,  is  very  heavy,  and  the  three  balls  are 
generally  made  of  stone,  but  they  use  a  lighter  form  for  the 
capture  of  the  ostrich.  In  the  case  of  guanaco  c/iicos,  clubs  are 
often  employed. 

Holding  his  weapon  by  the  shortest  of  the  three  sooas,  or 
thongs,  and  while  going  at  full  gallop,  the  Indian  launches  it  at  the 


io6         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

long  neck  of  the  i^uanaco ;  a  doe  is  always  selected  if  possible. 
Extremely  expert  in  its  use,  the  rider's  weapon  probably  reaches 
its  mark,  and  the  quarry,  maddened  by  the  tightening  of  the  sogas, 
bucks  and  rears,  until  she  becomes  hopelessly  entangled. 

1  have  mentioned  that  the  Tehuelches  hunt  in  pairs.  The 
companion  of  the  Indian  who  has  thrown  the  bo/as  then  leaps  to  the 
ground  and  despatches  the  guanaco.  Meantime  his  comrade  has 
dashed  forward  at  the  tail  of  the  herd,  and  has  probably  secured 
another  animal.  The  dogs,  too,  do  their  part,  and  as  the  storm  of 
the  chase  sweeps  across  the  pampa,  it  leaves  the  ground  in  its  path 
dotted  with  the  yellow-brown  forms  of  the  slain. 

The  chase  tails  itself  out  for  many  miles,  and  may  be  followed 
over  desolate  leagues  marked  by  lines  of  dead  guanacos  and  dropped 
boleadores  which  have  failed  to  carry  home.  I  should  be  afraid  to 
say  how  many  animals  are  killed  at  one  of  these  singular  battues. 
To  see  the  Indian  hunt  the  ofuanaco  is  to  see  the  art  of  rousfh- 
riding  exemplified.  How  they  gallop  !  Down  one  sheer  barranca, 
or  cliff,  and  up  another.  The  roar  of- loosened  stone  behind  them. 
The  guanaco  jink  and  dodge  and  break  back,  always  making  for 
the  highest  ground  in  the  vicinity. 

The  dexterity  with  which  the  horses  of  the  hunters  keep  their 
feet  is  truly  wonderful.  They  will  go  at  full  gallop  anywhere,  and 
hardly  ever  fall  or  miss  their  footing.  There  is,  however,  one 
thing  which  they  universally  dislike,  and  that  is  jumping  in  any  of 
its  forms.  Here  and  there  in  some  parts  of  Patagonia  the  pampa 
is  cut  and  scored  with  fissures  a  few  feet  in  width.  To  have  your 
horse  stop  dead,  both  feet  together,  on  the  edge  of  one  of  these 
and  violently  shy  away  at  an  acute  angle  is  no  uncommon  ex- 
perience. Generally,  however,  a  certain  amount  of  inducement 
and  coercion  at  length  takes  them  over  in  a  complicated  buck. 

When  the  chase  has  run  itself  out,  the  lean  dogs  are  fed  upon 
the  grosser  parts,  the  pelts  of  the  young  are  pulled  off,  and  the 
meat,  such  of  it  as  is  wanted,  is  cargoed  or  packed  upon  the  horses, 
and  the  hunting-party  jogs  back  to  the  shelter  of  the  wigwams, 
made  from  the  skins  their  fathers  and  their  grandfathers  slew  before 
the  white  men  began  to  move  southward  and  to  overrun  the  land. 

The  Indians  kill  no  bird  save  the  ostrich,  and  this  is  a  curious 


TEHUELCHE  METHODS  OF  HUNTING  107 

fact,  because  the  lagoons  and  pools  literally  swarm  with  great 
flocks  of  upland  geese  {Chlocphaga  niaoel/anicd),  which  are  very- 
fair  eating.  Perhaps  the  reason  why  they  spare  the  geese  arises 
from  the  fact  that  they  have  no  weapons  suitable  for  killing  them. 
On  one  occasion  when  I  shot  a  brace  of  geese,  the  Indians  seized 
upon  them  and  pronounced  them  "good."  Also,  they  kill  few 
animals  but  the  guanaco  and  the  puma.  Had  the  guanaco  a 
reasonable  amount  of  fat  upon  it,  the  life  of  the  Indians  would  be 
idyllic,  but  in  this  the  guanaco  fails.  Of  lean  meat  he  sui)plies 
plenty,  for  he  is  a  large  beast,  but  though  he  lives  in  a  land  where 
sheep  grow  fat  and  well-liking,  the  long-necked  Patagonian  llama 
retains  his  leanness  and  his  running  condition. 

Although  it  may  be  slightly  outside  the  province  of  this  book, 
I  cannot  help  contrasting  the  very  different  methods  employed  by 
the  Onas  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  who  are  after  all  only  separated 
from  the  Tehuelches  of  Patagonia  bv  the  narrow  Straits  of 
Magellan,  in  hunting  the  same  animal.  The  Onas  do  not  use 
horses,  and  kill  the  guanaco  with  bows  and  arrows.  When  they 
perceive  a  herd,  they  surround  it  as  the  Tehuelches  do,  but,  of 
course,  the  circle  is  on  a  much  smaller  scale.  It  is  their  aim  to 
remain  invisible  to  their  quarry,  for  which  purpose,  during  their 
stalk,  they  are  in  the  habit  of  wrapping  themselves  in  the  skins  ot 
the  animals  which  they  have  formerly  killed.  Once  the  herd  is 
surrounded,  it  is  with  the  same  accompaniment  of  screams  and 
shouts  that  the  hunters  rush  in  to  secure  their  prey. 

The  dissimilarities  between  the  Tehuelches  and  the  Onas  are 
numerous.*  While  the  Tehuelches  are  peaceful,  the  Onas  are 
warlike.  There  is  a  storv  current  that  the  onK  white  man  who 
has  ever  lived  in  the  very  primitive  dwelling  of  boughs,  which 
are  all  the  Onas  have  to  shelter  them  from  a  bitter  climate,  was  a 
Scotchman  whom  the  Indians  had  captured.  He  was  with  tlu-m 
three  weeks,   and  his  face  was  adorned  by  a  singularly  luxuri.uii 

■•■  The  Tehuelches  are  enormously  above  the  Onas  of  Tierra  del  Fuefjo  in  the  scale 
of  civilisation.  A  Fuegian  woman  has  been  known  to  live  in  the  Tehuelchian  tents, 
but  how  she  came  there  I  am  unable  to  say.  On  the  other  hand.  1  have  never  heard 
of  any  Tehuelchc  living  with  the  Tierra  del  Fucgians,  and  cannot  conceive  such 
a  state  of  things  to  be  possible.  But  the  Tehuelches  will  mix  occasionally  with  the 
Araucanian  tribes  of  Northern  Patagonia,  and  intermarriages  are  common. 


T08 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


crop  of  orano-e  whiskers.  The  Onas  are  reported  to  have  amused 
themselves  bv  pullincr  these  out  in  instahnents  bv  the  roots. 
Might    not    some    anthropologist    base    a    treatise    upon    "The 


BEAUTIES   OF    TIEKKA    IHJ.    11  l.i.O 

Artistic   Perceptions   of  the   Onas    of   Tierra    del    Fuego "    upon 
this  occurrence  ? 

The  Onas  are  also  a  tall  people,  although  not  equalling  in 
height  my  friends  the  Tehuelches,  and  their  physical  development 
is  less  conspicuously  remarkable.  The  Ona  woman  does  not,  as 
does  the  Tehuelche  china,  form  an  attachment  to  a  white  suitor, 
appearing  to  have  no  desires  outside  her  own  race  and  people, 
but  under  certain  circumstances  the  women  have  shared  the  hearth- 
stone of  the  foreigner.  Polygamy  is  allowed  and  practised  among 
them.  There  is  something  of  the  spirit  which  characterises  the 
Gipsy  of  Europe  about  this  people  ;  they  are  quite  ready  to  take 
all  they  can  get  from  the  alien,  while  they  at  the  same  time  main- 
tain a  bitter  rancour  against  the  hand  that  gives.  But  this  is  not, 
as  it  is  in  the  case  of  the  Gipsies,  the  continuance  of  an  original 


TEHUELCHE  METHODS  OF  HUNTING  109 

dislike  and  implacability,  but  rather  the  result  of  the  infamous  ill- 
faith  which  leavened  the  dealings  of  the  very  earliest  visitors  to 
the  coasts  of  Tierra  del  Fuegfo. 

I  must  confess  that  all  my  sympathies  are  on  the  side  of  the 
primitive  races,  who  on  coming  into  contact  with  the  white  man 
suffer  those  outraq-es  on  their  best  feelinors  which,  I  am  sorr\-  to 
say,  are  only  too  common.  You  must  understand,  however,  that  I 
in  no  way  refer  to  the  settlers  of  this  generation.  My  remarks 
must  be  taken  to  refer  to  the  first  pioneers.  At  the  present  day 
— so  Burbury,  who  has  had  a  great  experience  of  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  informed  me — the  Indians  there  are  treacherous  and 
absolutely  implacable,  and  do  endless  harm  in  their  periodical 
raids  upon  the  "  white  guanaco,"  as  they  call  the  sheep.  They 
do  this  not  only  when  hunger  presses  them,  but  at  all  times  out  of 
a  spirit  of  revenge.  Sometimes  they  drown  the  sheep  and  leave 
them  in  the  ice,  where  they  keep  good  for  weeks,  during  which 
time  the  Onas  feast  on  them. 

Patagonia  bears  upon  its  length  the  clear-cut  and  long-drawn 
initial  of  the  Tehuelche  race.  By  this  I  mean  the  Indian  trail, 
which  can  be  followed  from  water  to  water,  from  good  camp  to 
good  camp,  stretching  from  Punta  Arenas  in  the  south  to  Lake 
Buenos  Aires  in  the  north  and  beyond  it.  Up  and  down  this  trail 
and  along  others,  less  extended,  generations  of  Indians  have 
wandered  with  their  wives  and  children,  their  tents  and  horses. 
We  struck  it  when  travelling  south  from  Lake  Buenos  Aires,  in 
the  early  January  of  1901.  It  was  hard  to  distinguish  the 
Indian  road  from  any  parallel  series  of  guanaco-tracks,  which 
here  line  the  country  in  numbers,  and,  indeed,  il  was  onl\-  by 
keeping  a  sharp  look-out  for  the  hoof-prints  of  horses  that  we  were 
able  to  follow  the  trail  at  all.  It  runs  alon^' under  the  Cordillera  at 
a  varying  distance  of  about  twenty  or  thirty  miles  from  their  bases. 
It  was  a  sad  remark  that  an  Indian  made  to  us  while  talking  about 
the  ancient  wanderings  of  his  people.  "  Once,"  he  said.  "  we  had  the 
sea  upon  the  one  side  of  us,  and  upon  the  other  the  Cordillera. 
But  this  is  not  so  now.  The  white  man  is  ever  advancing  u{)on  oiu- 
side  and  the  Cordillera  remains  ever  unchanging  upon  the  other. 
Soon  there  will  be  no  place  for  us  ;  yet  once  the  lantl  was  ours." 


no         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

One  would  imagine  that  a  people  so  dependent  on  their  horses 
for  the  very  necessities  of  life  would  give  attention  and  care  to  the 
breeding  and  improv^ement  of  the  stock.  But  this  is  far  from 
being  the  case.  The  Tehuelches  appear  to  be,  like  other  far  less 
intelligent  races  of  uncivilised  peoples,  incapable  of  much  fore- 
thought. They  live  for  to-day  and  make  little  provision  for 
to-morrow.  As  a  case  in  point,  they  are  allowing  their  horses 
to  become  very  deteriorated.  The  animals  are,  almost  without 
exception,  to  use  a  Spanish  term,  maiiero,  which  means  of  a 
spoiled  temper.  In  some  localities  they  have  been  crossed  with 
the  horses  of  the  settlers  which  have  a  strain  of  English  blood, 
and  the  result  is  animals  of  spirit  and  of  character,  but  viuy 
inanero.  The  Tehuelches  prize  white  horses,  and  overos,  or 
piebalds,  exceedingly.  The  backs  of  their  horses  are  generally 
badly  galled,  but  this  is  no  matter  for  surprise,  as  they  often  ride 
upon  a  sheepskin  flung  anyhow  across  the  beast.  The  method  of 
breaking-in  or  taming  is  simple  and  severe  in  the  extreme.  It 
consists  of  leaping  on  a  raw  colt  and  galloping  him  to  exhaustion. 
One  reason  why  their  horses  are  falling  below  level  certainly  is 
that  the  Indians  have  a  foolish  trick  of  riding  two-  and  three-year- 
olds  both  hard  and  far.  A  colt  of  this  age  once  fairly  "cooked" 
by  an  over-long  ride  will  never  be  of  very  much  use  afterwards. 

And  yet  these  people  are  peculiarly  dependent  upon  their 
horses.  They  will  not  walk  ten  yards  if  they  can  ride  them. 
And  they  have  undoubtedly  carried  the  art  of  riding  to  the  last 
perfection.  I  never  knew  what  riding  really  meant  until  I  went  to 
Patagonia  and  saw  the  Indians  on  horseback.  We  once  asked  an 
Indian  what  he  could  do  if  he  were  left  on  the  pampa  without  his 
horses.  "Sit  down,"  he  said.  This  man,  however,  was  not  a 
Tehuelche  but  a  Pampa  Indian. 

The  horses  are  far  from  large,  the  average  running  to  about 
thirteen  hands,  but  they  are  wiry,  untiring  beasts,  and  some  show 
extraordinary  speed.  The  manner  in  which  they  carry  the  heavy 
well- developed  Indians  is  wonderful.  They  are  entirely  fed  on 
grass.  When  the  camp  is  made,  they  are  simply  turned  out  to 
graze  upon  the  pampa,  where  frequently  the  grass  is  sparse  and 
poor  enough,  though  near  many  of  the  Indian  camping-grounds 


V  \  t- 


r       > 


.7 


SONS  OF    llll';    I 'A  Ml 'A 


TEHUELCHE  METHODS  OF  HUNTING  in 

good  veo-as  of  rich  grass  exist.  In  winter,  of  course,  the  tropillas 
become  very  thin  and  in  poor  condition,  Ijut  at  that  season  they 
have  infinitely  less  work  to  do,  as  there  is  hardly  any  hunting,  and 
the  camp  is  usually  stationary  for  the  coldest  months. 

The  hounds  of  the  Indians  are  something-  like  our  lurcher 
breed.  In  the  tents  they  lie  about  among  the  rugs  and  bedding. 
They  are  irreclaimable  thieves  and  very  cowardly.  A  good 
guanaco  hound  is,  however,  of  very  great  value,  for  a  pair  of 
accomplished  hounds,  skilled  in  the  chase,  represent  a  capital  upon 
which  an  entire  family  can  live. 

One  of  the  strongest  feelings  which  I  brought  away  with  me 
from  Patagonia  was  a  hatred  of  the  trader  who  battens  upon  the 
failinofs  of  the  Tehuelches.  If  he  hears  of  a  festival  or  any  tribal 
ceremony,  he  arrives  upon  the  spot  with  drink.  He  sells  liquor 
in  exchange  for  horses,  and  when  his  customers  are  well  steeped 
in  the  poison  he  brings,  he  makes  some  magnificent  bargains. 
His  influence  is  far-reaching  and  fatal  as  far-reaching  to  the 
picturesque  and  harmless  race  out  of  whose  degradation  and 
death  he  makes  his  living.  Savage  races  may  survive  war  and 
internecine  struggles,  and  the  decimation  not  infrequently  caused 
by  a  cruel  rule  such  as  was  T'Chaka  among  the  Zulus,  but  they 
never  survive  the  Civilisation  of  the  Bottle.  The  horrors  of  the 
wars  of  history  would  pale  beside  the  cold-blooded  slaughter,  the 
gradual,  malignant,  poisoning  processes  which  the  most  self- 
satisfied  and  religious  nations  of  the  world  allow  to  continue  vear 
after  year,  I  should  say  century  after  century,  among  the  aboriginal 
tribes,  who  live  nominally  under  their  protection.  The  pioneer 
trader  with  his  stores  of  cheap  maddening  liquor  is  free  to  sell  as 
much  as  he  pleases,  although  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  such 
trading  means  ruin  and  extermination  to  the  unhappy  ignorant 
folk  who  buy.  The  sin  after  all  is  national  rather  than  personal, 
for  the  trader  has  his  livinor  to  earn,  whereas  the  nation  which  is 
responsible  for  allowing  him  liberty  to  traffic  puts  out  no  hand  to 
stay  the  evil,  I  do  not  in  the  least  bring  any  charge  against  the 
Argentine  Government ;  we  British  are  guilty  of  the  same  crime 
or  carelessness,  and  in  some  of  our  dependencies  terrible  object- 
lessons  of  precisely  the  same  kind  can  be  observed. 


112         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Let  me  draw  a  picture  of  one  of  these  traders  for  you.  A 
lean  stooping  man  of  Paraguayan  extraction,  dressed  out  in  store 
clothes  which  he  but  half  filled.  A  plump  face  of  the  caste 
peculiar  to  the  lowest  type  of  the  Latin  peoples,  with  a  full  greasy- 
lipped  animalism  stamped  upon  it,  after  the  manner  of  his  kind. 
The  lean  body  and  fat  face  formed  a  contrast  that  struck  you 
with  repulsion  as  an  actual  deformity.  This  fellow  played  a  very 
old  trick  upon  a  batch  of  Indians  and  considerably  enriched 
himself  thereby. 

The  Indians  had  come  in  upon  the  outskirts  of  a  coast-town, 
rich  with  the  sale  of  a  six-months  harvest  of  ostrich  feathers, 
guanaco-skins  and  other  such  merchandise  as  they  gather  from  the 
pampas.  After  some  drinking  and  a  variety  of  games  of  chance, 
our  friend  the  trader  started  an  argument  as  to  which  of  the 
Indians  owned  the  swiftest  horse.  A  race  was  soon  decided  upon, 
the  trader  most  liberally  offering  a  prize  in  the  shape  of  a  bottle 
of  drink.  The  race  was  to  be  ridden  bare-back,  as  is  usual  in 
contests  of  this  description  among  the  Indians.  The  trader 
further  sucrsfested  that  the  race  should  be  run  off  in  heats.  A 
horse  with  a  white  blaze  and  a  very  fine  head  won,  and  his  pro- 
prietor, a  tall  Indian  in  a  black  poncho,  received  the  prize,  which 
he,  with  help,  soon  disposed  of.  After  this  the  talk  fell  naturally 
upon  the  merits  of  the  respective  horses. 

"Your  picaso  is  a  good  horse,"  said  the  trader  to  the  tall 
Indian,  "but  I  have  a  horse  in  my  troop  that  could  leave  him  far 
behind." 

At  first  the  Indian  laughed,  but  the  trader's  boasting  and 
insistence  presently  stung  him  to  resent  the  aspersion  on  his 
mount,  and  he  said  he  should  like  to  see  the  thing  done. 

The  trader  jumped  at  the  opportunity.  The  Indians  had  had 
sufficient  drink  to  destroy  their  ordinary  cautiousness,  and  were 
ready  to  take  up  any  challenge. 

"The  loser  to  forfeit  his  horse  to  the  winner,"  continued  the 
trader,  who  had  laid  his  plans  beforehand.  He  then  called  a 
Chileno  lad,  who  soon  appeared  leading  a  big  lean  alazan.  It 
was  easy  for  any  seeing  eye  to  recognise  that  the  animal  had  been 
tied  up  the  night  before  and  was  in  quite  fair  racing  trim  ;  besides 


f^  l/.N(iVERs(-r> 


TEHUELCHE  METHODS  OF  HUNTING 


113 


which,  the  Indmns  />icaso  was  already  tired  with  the  previous  races. 
The  Chileno  boy  swung  up  and  the  two  horses  came  thundering 
along  their  course.      The   Indian's  weight  also  told  as  compared 


<-W-43 


TEHUELCHES   VISIT  GALLEGOS 


with  the  lightness  of  the  Chileno  boy,  and  the  result  was  altogether 
a  foregone  conclusion. 

But  this  by  no  means  ended  the  business.  The  Indians  were 
excited  and  ripe  for  any  amount  of  gambling,  and  being  skilfully 
handled  by  the  trader  they  did  not  leave  the  settlement  until  he 
had  stripped  them  of  all  their  possessions.  The  tall  Indian,  who 
had  come  in  with  eighty  dollars  and  five  horses,  returned  to  hi^ 
camp  with  a  two-kilo  bag  ol'  ycrda  and  on  a  horse  which  he  hatl 
been  forced  to  buv  for  the  return  journev  from  the  trailer  ai.  of 
course,  the  trader's  own  price. 

There    are    man)'    IndicUis    who    avoid    the    coast-towns,    hui 


114         THROUGH  THE  HEARr  OF  PATAGONIA 

althoueh   these   do   not   cro  to  the  trader,   the  trader,   as   I   have 
mentioned  in  another  chapter,  comes  to  them. 

Throughout  Patagonia,  upon  the  rim  of  civiHsation,  are 
scattered  boliches,  or  frontier  drink-shops,  whose  hquor  sales 
consist  chietly  of  "champagne  cognac,"  whatever  that  potion 
may  be.  These  estabhshments  hold  out  a  perpetual  temptation 
to  the  passing  Indians.  The  frequent  presence  of  silver  gear, 
such  as  the  Tehuelches  possess  when  fortune  smiles  upon  them, 
that  is  almost  always  hanging  from  the  ceiling  of  the  neighbouring- 
store,  tells  its  own  tale.  An  Indian  has  rarely  enough  money  to 
"  look  upon  the  wine  when  it  is  red,"  or  rather  upon  the  unwhole- 
some jaundice  tinge  of  "champagne  cognac,"  so  he  pays  in  kind  ; 
and  when  once  the  craving  for  drink  grips  him  he  will  gamble 
away  everything  to  satisfy  it.  This  infatuation  appears  to  lay  a 
fatally  strong  hand  upon  the  uncivilised  peoples.  They  have  no 
principles  to  stay  them,  no  scruples  to  overcome,  they  have  found 
a  short  cut  to  a  wild  species  of  happiness,  and  one  cannot  wonder 
that  they  seek  its  extraordinary  pleasures  as  often  as  possible.  So 
it  is  that  liquor  has  destroyed  whole  races,  wiped  them  clean  off 
the  face  of  the  earth.     Some  one  has  written  : 

Oppression  and  the  sword  slay  fast, 
Thy  breath  kills  slowly  but  at  last, 

and  it  is  certainly  a  terrible  truth  in  this  connection. 

I  can  call  to  mind  two  Indians,  whom  I  saw  ride  up  to  a  boliche 
near  Santa  Cruz.  They  offered  a  contrast  to  one  another  which 
it  is  not  easy  to  forget.  The  first  was  an  Indian  with  a  close-shut 
mouth  and  the  dark  and  ponderous  dignity  of  the  big  Tehuelche, 
His  gear  was  richly  studded  with  silver,  and  his  saddle  covered 
with  embroidered  cloths.  His  head  was  bare,  save  that  his  brows 
were  bound  with  a  band  of  red  finery.  He  made  a  picturesque 
and  imposing  figure  as  he  cantered  up  on  his  white  horse  with  its 
oflintinuf  eves.  Followed  the  second.  He,  too,  was  an  Indian,  but 
his  eear  was  cruiltless  of  silver,  his  bozal  was  worn  and  blackened 
with  age.  The  best  thing  he  possessed  was  his  horse.  He  wore 
an  ancient  tail-coat,  once  black  but  now  green,  this  in  conjunction 
with   a   chiripa,   or    Indian    loin-cloth,    gave    him    an    appearance 


TEHUELCHE  METHODS  OF  HUNTING  115 

sufficiently  incongruous.  Instead  of  the  (luiet  dignity  of  the  first 
man,  his  face  expressed  httle  save  vacuity.  He  was  a  pitiful 
object  in  the  strong  pampa  sunshine,  his  health  evidently  broken 
by  frequent  orgies.  And  no  doubt  he  had  been  a  self-respecting 
Indian  enough — before  the  trader  came  within  the  province  of  his 
knowledo^e. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE    KINGDOM    OF   THE   WINDS 

Como  No — Wind  and  driven  sand — Laguna  La  Cancha — Como  No's  dogs  — 
Cold  winds — Lake  Buenos  Aires  and  Sierra  Nevada — Cross  River  Fenix — 
Stony  ground — Skeletons  of  guanaco — Fine  scenery — Short  rest — Colt  killed — 
Base  camp  made — Boyish  dreams — Sunday — Routine  at  Horsham  Camp — 
Driftwood  round  lake — Constant  wind — My  tent-home — Scorpions — Guanacos 
— Engineers'  camp — Cooking-pots — First  huemul. 

We  now  set  forth  upon  the  last  stage  of  our  journey  to  Lake 
Buenos  Aires,  I  had  hired  one  of  the  Indians  to  guide  us  across 
the  high  pampa.  He  was,  although  dwelling  in  the  tents  of  the 
Tehuelches,  not  a  Tehuelche.  He  called  himself  a  Patagonc7'o, 
and  belonged  to  one  of  the  tribes  of  Pampa  Indians  of  the  north. 
His  tribe,  he  told  me,  were  Christians.  Before  we  left  the  Indian 
encampment,  one  of  the  older  ladies  belonging  to  it  began  to 
paint  her  face  in  horizontal  lines  of  black,  whether  with  a  view  to 
capturing  our  hearts  or  not  I  cannot  say. 

We  left  on  November  3,  and  accomplished  a  very  long  march 
in  the  face  of  somewhat  trying  conditions.  The  Indian  rode 
ahead  with  his  dogs  on  the  look-out  for  ostriches.  A  mighty  wind 
from  the  west,  cold  with  the  snow  of  the  Cordillera,  blew  in  our 
faces,  bringing  with  it  showers  of  sand  that  stung  us  sharply.  We 
could  hardly  persuade  the  horses  to  meet  the  wind,  and  their  hoofs 
kicked  up  still  more  sand  for  our  benefit.  We  were  off  shortly 
after  nine  o'clock,  and  about  noon  I  would  have  given  much  to  say 
"  Camp."  When  fighting  with  the  elements  one  goes  through 
three  distinct  stages.  First,  there  is  the  stage  exultant,  during 
which  you  feel  the  joy  of  battle,  and  struggle  rejoicingly.  The 
second  comes  when  the  irresistible  tires  you  down,  however 
strong  you  are,  and  forces  the  sense  of  your  puniness  so  plainly 
upon  you  that  you  feel  a  sort  of  hurt  despair,  and  a  half  impulse  to 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  THE  WINDS  117 

give  in  before  a  force  so  far  beyond  you.  Last  of  all,  you  go  on 
enduring  until  you  become,  as  it  were,  acclimatised,  and  inclined  to 
laugh  at  the  despair  you  experienced  a  while  previously.  So  it 
was  on  this  day's  march.  About  noon  I  said  to  myself  as  we  were 
crossing  the  high  pampa  above  the  barranca  of  the  Riv^er  Chalia — a 
desolate  spot,  rough  and  tussocky,  and  gambolled  over  by  Titanic 
winds— "We  will  camp  at  four  sharp."  The  decision  at  the 
moment  was  a  comfort,  but  in  the  end  we  did  not  camp  until 
close  upon  seven  o'clock,  blind  with  sand,  and  our  hands  bleeding 
from  the  cold  and  the  harsh  friction  of  the  cargo  ropes. 

It  was  as  we  approached  this  camp  that  I  saw  beside  a  lagoon 
of  snow-water  two  American  oyster-catchers  (^Hcpinatopus palliatus) 
which,  no  doubt,  had  nested  in  the  vicinity,  as,  on  my  going  closer, 
they  rose  and  circled  with  their  darting  flight  above  my  head,  but 
I  failed  to  find  the  nest.  There  were  many  guanacos  about,  and  I 
was  not  surprised  to  hear  that  this  lagoon,  Laguna  La  Cancha,  was 
a  very  favourite  encampment  of  the  Indians,  The  scenery  sur- 
rounding the  pool  is  peculiarly  inhospitable.  Some  one  remarked 
that  it  reminded  him  of  Dore's  illustrations  to  the  Inferno,  adding, 
"  If  you  were  to  put  heat  to  it,  it  would  be  Hell."  Huge  rolling 
downs,  bare  hills,  and  no  vegetation  save  a  few  tussocks  and 
scattered  meagre  shrubs.  The  Indian  said  the  winter  hits  this 
land  very  hard,  and  the  whole  district  is  buried  under  snow,  only  the 
high,  bald  tops  of  the  hills  being  visible. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday,  but  not  on  this  occasion  a  day  of 
rest.  One  thought  of  the  bells  ringing  far  away  at  home  and  the 
concourse  of  people  moving  along  the  winter  roads.  Here  was 
wind,  cold,  and  a  march,  cargo  to  be  fixed  and  refixed  to  the  day's 
end,  then  a  windy  camp-fire,  and  after  a  short  sleep  till  dawn. 
Hitherto  the  toil  had  been  hard,  but  we  were  nearing  the  lake, 
and  looked  forward  to  a  time  of  rest  and  hunting. 

We  were  rich  in  meat  with  the  cow,  sheep,  a  Darwin's  rhea 
caught  by  the  Indian's  dogs,  and  three  geese.  The  hounds  of  the 
Indian  proved  themselves  to  be  troublesome  thieves.  Hurbury 
and  I  were  obliged  to  sleep  beside  the  meat.  r)esidcs  being 
cunniiv''  thieves  the  dosfs  were  cowards.  Thev  were  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  wild  as  regarded   their  habits.      \'et  good  guanaco- 


ii8 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


hounds  represent  very  sterling  value  to  their  owners,  whose  liveli- 
hood they  procure.      The  best  at  the  work  I  met  with  in  Patagonia 


(.)N    AHKAU 


were  those  which  belonged  to  this  Indian  ouide.  Wg  called  the 
man  Como  No  because,  whatever  question  was  put  to  him,  his 
invariable  reply  took  the  form  of  ''  Como  no?''  or  "  Why  not  ?  " 
You  said  perhaps,  "  It  is  not  far  to  the  next  camping-ground,  is  it  ?  " 
''  Como  no?''  he  would  answer.  After  some  three  hours  at  an 
amble,  you  would  repeat  your  inquiry.  "Is  it  much  farther.'*" 
''  Como  no  ?''  The  most  impossible  queries  met  with  precisely 
the  same  response. 

However  indeterminate  Como  No  may  have  been  in  his  mental 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  THE  WINDS  119 

attitude,  his  dogs  were  definitely  good  ones.  He  owned  a  hip- 
brindled  dog,  a  small  black  one  and  a  couple  of  yellow  pups. 
Como  No  had  a  habit  of  riding  far  ahead  of  the  general  troop  of 
men  and  horses,  his  figure  making  a  far-off  outline  etched  in  black 
against  the  cold  blue  horizon  of  the  pampa.  Sometimes,  when  he 
lost  sight  of  us  for  any  length  of  time,  he  would  burn  a  bush  to  give 
us  our  direction  by  the  smoke,  and  we  would  follow  on,  driving 
the  pack-horses  and  those  free  ones  which  were  not  being  used 
either  for  riding  or  cargo  at  the  time.  Presently,  perhaps,  when 
rounding  a  low  thicket,  we  would  come  suddenly  upon  him,  squatted 
on  his  haunches  beside  a  dead  ostrich,  from  which  he  had  stripped 
the  feathers.  These  feathers,  though  far  inferior  to  those  of  the 
African  ostrich,  or  of  RJica  aniericaua,  are  worth  anything  from 
two  to  four  dollars. 

As  he  rode  forward  ag-ain,  his  doos  would  rano^e  on  either  side 
of  him.  By-and-by  they  would  again  start  an  ostrich  or  a 
guanaco,  and  pull  it  down  within  500  or  600  yards.  W'here- 
upon  Como  No  would  ride  up,  drive  them  off,  kill  and  cut  up  the- 
quarry,  giving  the  hounds  the  liver,  strip  the  feathers  if  it  happened 
to  be  an  ostrich,  and  then  mount  and  ride  on  once  more.  This 
performance  would  be  repeated  over  and  over  again  during  the 
course  of  the  march,  until,  before  we  saw  the  last  of  him,  his 
saddle  had  become  an  enormous  bunch  of  feathers,  from  out  of 
which  his  body  and  shoulders  protruded  in  a  (juaint  manner. 

At  night  these  dogs,  however,  were  a  terrible  nuisance.  They 
would  forage  about  the  camp  for  food,  and  pull  down  the  meat  we 
had  placed  on  bushes  and  de\'our  it.  Such  was  eventually  the 
fate  of  the  last  remnants  of  the  mutton  wc  had  uiih  us,  and  the 
loss  was  all  the  harder  as  we  knew  that  the  stolen  mutton  was  the 
last  we  were  destined  to  taste  for  months.  After  that  we  lixcd  un 
lean  guanaco. 

By  this  date  we  had  gradually  climbed  to  some  1 100  teci 
above  the  sea-level,  and  the  temperature  was  extremely  cokl.  Our 
reindeer-beds  became  a  great  comfort. 

The  5th  Ix'gan  witli  an  liour  of  welcome  sun.  but  it  j-jassed 
only  too  soon,  and  tlu;  wind  rose  nicjre  piercingK'  cokl  ih.ui  ever. 
It  penetrated   to    one's  very    bones.      W'c    hov\e\er,    made   seven 


I20         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

leagues,  and  reached  the  River  Genguel,  which  here  makes  a 
great  curve.  We  camped  in  a  narrow  shute,  strewn  with  big 
stones  and  giving  upon  the  river,  the  cahadon  being  very  wide 
and  devoid  of  shelter.  The  water  was  broken  into  small  sharp 
waves  bv  the  wind,  and  we  were  s^lad  to  collect  what  firewood 
was  obtainable — bushes  being  scarce  at  that  spot — and  make  a 
fire.  The  Indian  burned  a  bush  and  warmed  himself.  His 
does  had,  unaided  bv  him,  killed  a  small  o^uanaco  and  a  fox 
{Canis  griseus).  We  lay  by  the  fire  and  the  wind  came  down 
bitterly  chill  from  the  Sierra  Nevada,  while  Jones  cooked,  and  we 
learnt  the  delights  which,  in  a  cold  climate,  are  to  be  found  in 
mutton  fat!  After  food  to  bed,  and  then  a  cold  sleet  set  in.  It 
was  a  nasty  night,  but  in  our  reindeer  bags  we  were,  of  course, 
untouched  by  the  cold. 

Next  day  nine  leagues  were  achieved.  Very  long  marches 
these,  but  we  were  pressing  on  to  reach  Lake  Buenos  Aires. 
Cahadon  and  pampa  and  high  ground  succeeded  each  other  as  we 
rode  along,  sometimes  bare,  sometimes  sandy,  sometimes  thorn- 
covered,  often  stony  and  strewn  with  fragments  of  basalt. 
Generally  overhead  a  pallid  blue  sky,  and  below  wind,  wind, 
perpetual  wind.  So  we  toiled  on  past  little  chill  lagoons,  ruffled 
with  the  keen  breeze,  until  in  the  afternoon  I  came  up  with 
Burbury  and  the  Indian  on  a  rise,  and  there  lay  our  goal  before  us 
— a  great  stretch  of  water  wonderfully  blue  and  cold-looking 
beneath  the  Sierra  Nevada,  whose  summits  were  crowned  with 
snow  above  their  dusky  purple 

The  Tostado  kicked  ofT  his  cargo  during  the  day,  and  among 
the  scattered  contents  of  Jones'  kit  I  picked  up  a  broken  looking- 
glass.  I  had  not  seen  myself  since  leaving  Colohuapi,  and  con- 
fess I  found  no  cause  for  vanity  in  the  sight  of  a  distinctly  dirty- 
looking  pirate  with  smoke-reddened  eyes,  a  peeling  face  and  nose, 
and  with  enough  beard  to  put  a  finishing-touch  to  the  horrid 
spectacle. 

On  the  3rd  I  discovered  a  scorpion  in  my  bed  in  spite  of  the 
cold.  By  the  6th  we  reached  the  River  Fenix,  and,  crossing  to 
an  island,  camped  in  the  sleet,  the  temperature  reading  that  night 
being  30''  F.      F'rom  there  we  pushed  on  to  the  farther  bank,  and 


o 

X. 


CO 

< 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  THE  WINDS  121 

marched  to  the  campini^-ground  of  the  Indians,  which,  though  the 
nearest  of  their  old  camps  to  Lake  Buenos  Aires,  was  still  a  good 
distance  from  it.  The  Azulejo  had  been  lost,  but  was  brought 
in  quite  spent,  by  Barckhausen.  Poor  little  beast !  He  lay  down 
more  dead  than  alive  under  a  bush,  a  pathetic  little  figure  enough. 
After  reaching  camp,  Jones  and  I  had  to  turn  out  again,  pretty 
tired  as  we  were,  to  look  for  food.  We  rode  for  hours,  and  saw- 
only  a  herd  of  guanaco.  At  this  season  the  country  round  about 
here  is  rather  devoid  of  game,  the  ground  is  stony,  with  thorn  and 
dry,  blackened  bushes.  We  w  ere  disappointed  in  our  hunt  again  on 
the  second  day,  seeing  only  two  guanaco,  lion-tracks,  and  a  couple 
of  pigeons,  but  we  did  not  shoot  them,  and  I  am  unable  to  speak 
with  any  certainty  of  the  species  to  which  they  belonged.  I  have 
never  seen  a  district  so  bare  of  life.  We  had  come,  as  it  were,  to 
the  world's  end. 

I  sat  in  my  tent-door  and  wrote  my  diary.  Far  away  I  could 
see  the  Cordillera,  splendid  giants,  with  the  sun  shining  upon  them  ; 
below,  the  lake  that  reminded  me  strongly  of  the  picture  in  which 
Hiawatha  sailed  into  "  the  kingdom  of  Ponemah.  the  Land  of  the 
Hereafter."  That  scene  was  just  so  wild,  and  so  remote,  with  a 
great  red  sunset  burning  over  it,  and  round  about  it  rock  and  sand 
and  marsh,  with  a  pale  wide  rim  of  dead-wood,  swept  down 
by  floods  from  the  neighbouring  forests 

On  our  way  to  the  shores  of  the  lake  we  had  passed  through 
a  stretch  of  extraordinary  aridity,  a  white  and  yellow  spread  of 
mud  and  stones  that  filled  a  valley  between  two  scrub-covered 
hills.  From  far  off  it  looked  level,  but  in  reality  we  found  it  to 
be  intersected  and  veined  with  mighty  gashes,  which  formed 
windino;  ororgres.  There  the  wind  blew,  and  at  times  the  sun 
beat  down  ;  very  cold  it  was,  and  very  hot  by  turns,  but  never 
temperate. 

W^e  had  expected  to  find  plenty  of  game  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
lake,  but  in  this,  as  I  have  said,  we  were  disappointed,  the 
consequence  being  that  our  supply  of  meat  ran  short.  Tiiere  was 
nothin''"  for  it  but  to  kill  the  eiiihteen-months  old  colt  o(  one  of  the 
niadriiias.  But  before  we  did  this  we  hunted  for  three  davs,  during 
which  time  1   shot  a  couple  of  upland  geese,  which  made  the  sum 


122         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

total  of  our  bag.  In  a  new  country  one  has  always  to  buy 
experience.  We  were  buying  ours  at  this  period.  Owing  to  the 
wildness  of  our  horses  the  journey  front  Trelew  had  been  an 
especially  trying  one,  although,  under  other  circumstances,  the 
difficulties  need  not  be  oreat.*  The  breakdown  of  the  waes'on  at 
so  early  a  stage  had  entailed  a  large  amount  of  extra  labour,  and 
by  the  time  we  reached  Lake  Buenos  Aires  we  were,  both  men  and 
horses,  pretty  well  done  up. 

On  the  third  day  of  our  hunting  I  took  Barckhausen  instead  of 
Jones,  who  had  been  out  with  me  on  the  two  previous  days.  We 
passed  along  through  the  stony  thorn-lean  gorges  towards  the  east. 
Here  nothing  lived  save  the  strong  birds  of  prey,  and  lions,  whose 
tracks  we  observed  leading  to  the  rocks.  Death  lay  nakedly  there 
in  all  directions,  skull  and  backbone,  with  rain-polish  and  snow- 
polish  upon  them,  picked  clean  years  ago  by  now-dead  caranchos 
and  chimangos. 

During  our  ride  we  saw  two  monster  owls,  two  condors,  many 
caranchos,  and  so  pushed  on  over  hill  rising  behind  hill,  stony, 
dark,  with  wind-lifted  wisps  of  sand  turning  and  twisting  upon 
them. 

Ill  the  early  afternoon  we  came  upon  a  more  pleasant  land,  and 
to  a  little  marshy  pool  in  a  hollow  of  the  hills,  crowded  round  with 
forest-bushes,  and  upon  this  pool  from  far  away  I  spied  two  upland 
geese.  I  dismounted,  took  my  gun,  and  began  a  stalk.  While  I 
was  still  well  out  of  range  a  bough  broke  under  my  foot,  and  the 
geese  were  away.  W^e  lay  up  for  a  time,  but  the  birds  did  not 
return,  so  we  took  a  turn  westwards  in  the  hope  of  getting  some 
coots  I  had  observed  the  day  before  upon  another  lagoon,  close  to 
Lake  Buenos  Aires.  Upon  the  shore  of  the  lake  a  smart  shower 
of  sleet,  hail,  and  rain  overtook  us,  and  we  had  to  lie  down  in  the 
lee  of  a  thorn-bush.  I  saw  one  golden  guanaco  racing  along  a 
hill-top  against  the  sunset.  Some  coots  were  on  the  lake ;  I 
shot  four,  but  contrary  winds  drove  them  out  into  the  water  too 
deep  to  venture  after  them,  and  we  turned  campwards  empty- 
handed. 

■■'•  Pampa  travel  is  like  cricket  in  that  it  defies  forecast.      Sometimes  everything 
falls  in  right,  at  other  times  nothing  comes  opportunely  to  hand. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  THK   WINDS 


123 


As  we  galloped  over  the  hills  the  clouds  broke  on  the  western 
side  of  the  lake,  and  made  a  scene  ominously  beautiful.  The 
rifted  dusky  blue,  the  long  pale  gleam  of  water  shining  like  an 
angel's   sword,   the   white  snow-peaks,   the  purple-black    bell)    of 


:>-^-«.    ' 


i*-J. 


-*jr'^ 


the  rain-storm,  all  cast  together  formed  a  picture  that  affected  the 
senses  stronoflv. 

As  we  neared  camp,  I  saw  something  gleam  white  behind  a 
bush.  An  upland  goose!  I  crawled  up  and  found  two.  With 
what  care  I  mana"ed  that  stalk!  I  killed  the  female  with  one 
barrel  on  the  ground  and  pulled  over  the  male  as  he  swung 
upwards.  After  riding  seven  leagues,  we  got  our  small  results  of 
the  day's  seeking  within  a  mile  ot  the  camp!  One  or  other  of 
us  had  seen  far-off  guanaco  Hying  out  of  sight,  and  I  decided 
to  start  next  day  for  the  River  Fenix  to  try  for  some,  camping- 
there  the  night  and  returning  next  day  to  begin  our  long-needed 
rest. 

Vet  the  next  day  (November  9)  none  of  us  wiiu  a-Iuinting 
after  all.      We  were  fairly  jjlayed  out.      Personally    I    had   had   not 


124         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

one  day's  rest  since  starting  two  months  before,  as  upon  me  prin- 
cipally fell  the  duty  of  providing  for  the  pot,  so  that  upon  coming 
in  of  an  evening  on  the  close  of  a  long  march  it  was  usually 
necessary  to  saddle  a  fresh  horse  and  ride  a  further  distance  from 
five  to  fifteen  miles  in  search  of  game. 

So  we  killed  the  colt  to  provide  for  our  wants  while  men  and 
horses  enjoyed  well-earned  repose.  I  had  formed  a  base-camp 
about  five  miles  from  the  shores  of  the  lake,  intending  to  make 
short  expeditions,  lightly  equipped,  round  and  about  the  vicinity. 
As  for  the  camp,  three  large  thorn-bushes  were  Nature's  con- 
tribution towards  it,  and  what  a  relief  even  the  shelter  of  a  thorn- 
bush  can  be  in  the  Kingdom  of  the  Winds,  you  could  only  learn  by 
an  experience  such  as  was  ours.  Below  the  camp,  which  stood  on 
a  ridge,  the  ground  fell  away  in  a  three-mile  slope  to  the  usually 
angry  w^ater ;  eastwards  was  a  pantano  or  swamp  of  yellow  reeds, 
which  ran  a  long  way  below  the  scrub-grown  ridge.  The  tents 
huddled  back-to-wind,  as  much  under  the  lee  of  the  bushes  as 
possible.  We  made  an  oven,  but  it  turned  out  a  failure,  the  earth 
being  too  soft  for  our  purpose.  Round  the  fire  was  a  hedge  of 
thorn  hung  with  horse-blankets,  red,  yellow  and  black,  which  gave 
a  rather  festive  air  to  the  camp.  The  only  sounds  were  the 
neigh  of  a  horse,  the  hooting  of  night-birds,  and  the  never-silent 
wind. 

During  the  night  of  the  loth,  half  a  gale  of  wind  blew  up  with 
an  extraordinary  rancour  of  coldness.  I  lay  in  my  tent  and  heard 
the  sides  of  it  flapping  like  some  great  wounded  bird.  Sleep  was 
put  off  till  far  into  the  small  hours.  Through  the  open  tent-door  I 
could  look  at  the  bushes  writhing  in  the  gale,  the  long  black  back 
of  the  ridge  and  the  glint  of  stars.  How  often  one  sees  in  half- 
sleep  the  scenes  of  home  and  of  the  past !  I  seemed  again  to  be 
watchincr  the  boats  comin<jf  in  and  the  tides  risincr  with  the  well- 
known  ripple  and  pouring  rush  of  water  on  a  shallow  beach,  tides 
that  in  boyish  days  held  so  infinite  a  romance.  Where  did  the 
storms  that  broke  there  come  from  }  whither  went  the  dark  hulls 
after  they  sank  below  the  blue  edge  of  sea  ?  Or  where  did  the 
fishermen  sail  their  boats  to — lonely  rocks  from  which  they  brought 
back  parrot-beaked,  jolly --cirmcd  pi'ezwres  ?    And  yet,  having  drifted 


■X. 


/. 


C 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  THE  WINDS  125 

into  some  long  wanderings,  and  now  into  that  wilderness,  no  scene 
that  I  have  ever  looked  upon,  however  wild  or  lonely,  has  touched 
me  in  any  way  that  could  compare  with  the  thrill  of  those  early 
dreams.  Romance  lies  always  a  little  too  far  away  ;  only  in  child- 
hood is  the  gate  of  that  wonderful  garden  open  to  us,  and  we  gaze 
and  lon^;  for  the  fruit  we  are  never  to  handle. 

Our  tents  at  Horsham  Camp — so  we  named  it — were  the  only 
green  things  in  the  landscape.  They  happened  to  be  of  a  pale 
green.  Riding  out  from  the  camp  in  most  directions  you  found 
yourself  amongst  a  bare  and  wind-swept  series  of  ridges  two 
or  three  hundred  feet  in  height,  which  appeared  to  roll  away 
across  the  wide  continent.  Sunday  was  welcome.  It  was  notice- 
able how  Sunday  abroad  always  affected  men,  some  of  whom  at 
home  spared  small  attention  for  the  day.  Life  went  evenly.  The 
others  took  it  in  turn  to  cook.  I  generally  rode  out  early.  The 
troop  were  rounded  up  and  our  first  meal  came  about  7  o'clock. 
After  that  I  used  to  go  to  my  tent  and  write  while  the  men  busied 
themselves  with  any  job  on  hand.  Cocoa  at  two  on  Sundays,  and 
about  six  a  meal  of  meat  and  beans.  And  so  to  bed.  The  dav 
before  the  colt  was  killed,  Tom,  my  hound,  stole  a  dumpling  from 
the  plate  of  one  of  the  party  as  he  sat  eating.  The  loser  at  once 
pursued  the  thief,  retrieved  .the  dumpling  and  ate  it,  so  you  will 
understand  that  there  was  no  wastefulness  amone  us ! 

By  November  1 2  I  was  tired  of  inaction,  tired  of  the  tent, 
tired  of  the  camp.  The  wind  continued.  Surely  in  all  his 
writings  R.  L.  Stevenson  never  made  a  more  perfect  phrase  than 
the  "incommunicable  thrill  of  tilings."  A  wood-scent  in  the 
morning,  the  sound  of  the  wind  at  nigiit,  the  clear  cinders  of  the 
fire  or  a  whiff  of  burning  wood — one  receives  the  spark  that  fires 
the  train  of  thought  and  leads  us  far  away.  No  indolence  of  the 
soul  this,  but  the  fulfilling  of  some  beautiful  law  at  the  junction 
of  the  spiritual  and  the  natural,  infused  through  a  thousand 
tissues  and  welded  by  a  thousand  heredities.  .  .  .  One  writes 
much  of  this  kind  of  thing,  for,  afar  from  all  books  or  chance 
of  interchanging  ideas,  one  falls  back  upon  oneself  and  one's  pen 
is  a  safe  outlet  for  superfluous  imaginings. 

On  that  afternoon  I  cau^rht  a  horse  and  went  down  to  the  lon<'- 


126 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


point  that  stretches  out  into  the  lake.  Although  this  was  a  ride 
of  upwards  of  twenty  miles,  1  saw  no  living  thing  upon  the  land, 
and  on  the  water  only  a  couple  of  grebes  and  three  upland  geese. 
"Sly    way  lav  throuoh   dense   thickets   of    low   growth,   the   ojoinir 


LAKE    BUKNOS    AIKKS 


very  sandy  and  treacherous.  The  high-water  mark,  or,  as  I  should 
rather  say,  the  flood-mark  of  the  lake  was  outlined  by  piles  and 
piles  of  driftwood  of  milk-toothlike  whiteness.  Some  of  the  trunks 
were  as  large  in  girth  as  my  body.  All  this  comes  down  from 
the  mountain  forests,  carried  by  torrents  from  the  melting  snows. 
The  vegetation  on  that  side  of  the  lake  was  the  most  florid  and 
sizeable  that  I  had  so  far  seen  in  Patacronia.  Hii^h  flowerinof 
grass,  thorn-bush  thickets  almost  impenetrable,  and  between  these 
and  the  margin  of  the  water  a  wide  strewintr  of  rotten  trunks  of 
antarctic  beech  and  poles  of  an  arborescent  grass-like  bamboo. 
On  my  way  back  I  made  a  short  cut  through  the  edge  of  the  lake, 
of  which  the  bed  was  shinijlv. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  THE  WINDS  127 

November  13. — I  went  to  the  River  Fenix  and  shot  a  fuanaco 
Afterwards  I  took  a  six-mile  walk  and  shot  two  snipe.  Lake 
Buenos  Aires  was  certainly  the  very  heart  of  the  wind's  domain. 
While  we  were  there  the  wind  never  died  down,  it  blew  all  the 
time,  often  lifting  sand  and  gravel,  and  sometimes  a  oreat  piece 
of  our  camp-fire,  sheltered  as  that  was.  It  rayed  on  most  days, 
blowing  so  hard  that  some  people  in  England  would  not  have 
cared  to  venture  out  of  doors. 

I  have  so  far  given  no  description  of  our  tents,  which  were  pro- 
bably the  nearest  approach  to  comfort  within  many  hundred  miles 
of  Horsham  Camp.  Mine  was  small,  seven  feet  by  a  short  six, 
and  four  feet  high,  sustained  by  four  ropes  and  a  pole,  the  place 
of  the  second  pole — which  we  lost — being  taken  by  a  bow-leoo-ed 
slip  of  califate-wood.  The  tent  contained  two  beds  made  up  of 
skins  and  ponchos  laid  on  the  green  canvas  floor,  a  soldered  tin  of 
plug  tobacco  served  by  way  of  a  candlestick  and  upheld  a  candle- 
end.  Round  and  about  the  tent  and  on  its  excrescent  fioorino- 
were  heaped  our  boxes,  otherwise  the  wind  would  have  blown  it 
over.  It  was  a  mere  bag  of  a  place,  with  an  exit  like  an  animal's 
hole  ;  but  at  night,  when  the  storm  howled  without,  our  dim  light 
looked  homely,  the  tobacco-scented  air  was  grateful,  and  a  bit  of 
camphor  lent  its  aroma  to  the  place.  And  there  one  could  lie  at  ease 
and  read  or  think  at  pleasure. 

On  the  14th  I  shot  another  guanaco  ;  it  was  curious  that  we 
were  always  rich  in  meat  or  else  in  absolute  want  of  it.  I  had  fone 
out  on  Jones'  black  horse  for  a  little  exercise  lowards  the  River 
Deseado,  and  there  I  surprised  the  guanaco.  He  was  an  old  buck 
and  solitary.  He  gave  me  a  nice  shot,  then  walked  a  step  or  two 
and  fell  dead.  At  Horsham  Camp  we  lived  in  some  dread  of 
scorpions  ;  Jones  found  one  on  his  saddle,  Burbury  another  in  the 
flour  or  the  cooking-pot,  and  some  roosted  in  our  bedding.  15\-  the 
way,  our  kitchen  arrangements  were  becoming  very  scanty  at  that 
period  ;  we  had  but  two  cooking- pots  left  and  one  kettle,  thanks  to 
the  energetic  trentment  they  had  received  at  the  heels  of  the 
caTgucros.  It  was  fervenil\-  hojjcd  by  all  the  party  that  nothing 
would  go  wrong  with  any  of  these,  or  we  should  have  been  most 
uncomfortably  situated. 


128 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


On  the  15th  I  started  with  Burbury  and  Scrlvenor  to  make  an 
expedition   towards    Mount   Pyramide.      Upon   our  way  we   were 


SKNOR    HANS    P.    WAAG,    OF    THK    ARGKNTINli    BOUNDAKY   COMMISSION 

astonished  to  see  three  herds  of  guanaco — fourteen,  and  ten,  and 
then  twenty-one — at  different  times.  Although  I  was  well  within 
shot  I  did  not  try  to  kill  any,  as  we  had  meat  enough. 

On  this  day  the  first  huemul  seen  on  our  expedition  was 
observed  by  Burbury.  First  he  saw  a  buck,  afterwards  two  does, 
but,  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  ground,  he  was  unable  to  get  a  shot. 
We  were  naturally  very  anxious  to  secure  a  specimen  of  this  very 
interesting  and  little  known  deer,  but  it  was  not  until  we  made  our 
trip  round  the  south  side  of  the  lake  that  we  were  successful. 

We  made  our  way  across  an  abomination  of  desolation,  a  grey 
old   desert  ;  then   crossing  a  marsh,  we  descended  by  a  white  cliff 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  THE  WINDS  129 

to  the  margin  of  a  deep  brown  lagoon.  Of  many  colours  were  these 
lagoons.  Burbury  said  that  region  was  more  dismal  than  Tierra 
del  Fuego — old  deserts,  varied  by  marshes  and  califate-bush,  stone 
and  boulder,  thorn  and  sand.  After  a  rest  in  the  afternoon  we 
rode  on,  and  presently  struck  a  deserted  camp  of  the  Argentine 
Boundary  Commission,  near  which  the  steam-launch,  which  had 
been  brought  across  the  pampas  for  the  exploration  of  Lake 
Buenos  Aires,  was  secreted. 

Nothing  in  the  world  looks  more  forlorn  than  a  deserted  camp. 
But  we  were  far  from  being  depressed  on  this  occasion,  for  in  this 
old  camp  of  Mr.  Hans  Waag's  we  made  a  find  which  we  looked 
upon  as  a  great  slice  of  luck. 

On  November  2nd  I  find  in  my  diary  :  "  More  accidents  to 
the  cooking-pots,  this  time  at  the  hoofs  of  Horqueta.  The  flat- 
bottomed  pot  still  survives,  but  the  round  one  and  the  kettle 
are  more  damaged  than  whole.  One  more  such  accident  will  mean 
that  the  corned-beef  tins  must  be  called  into  requisition." 

In  this  camp  we  found  sundry  boxes,  old  iron-bound  packing- 
cases,  and  while  I  was  enoraored  in  licrhtino^  the  fire  I  heard  an 
exclamation  behind  me,  and  Burbury  sang  out : 

"  Here's  a  big  enamelled  saucepan,  nearly  new!  "  It  was  so, 
and  then  again,  "  And  here's  another.     What  luck  !" 

Of  course,  if  those  saucepans  had  not  been  shut  up  in  cases,  they 
might  have  been  considered  treasure-trove.  As  it  was,  one  did  not 
need  the  deductive  powers  of  a  Sherlock  Holmes  to  conclude  that 
the  travellers  who  had  hidden  these  pots  away  so  carefully  meant 
to  return,  find,  and  once  again  use  them.  They  belonged,  as  1 
knew,  to  Mr.  Waag's  Commission  of  Limits,  as  they  call  the 
Boundarv  Commission  out  there.  When  I  met  that  Q-entleman  in 
Buenos  Aires  I  never  dreamt  that  I  should  yet  be  reduced  to  steal- 
ino-  his  cookino'  utensils.  But  we  did  not  "steal"  them,  we  onlv 
"  availed  "  ourselves  of  them.  I  hope  my  readers  see  the  difference 
as  plainly  as  we  saw  it.  And  what  do  you  think  our  companions 
said  when  they  heard  the  story  ?  Did  they  urge  us  to  make  resti- 
tution ?  What  they  said  referred  to  the  finding  of  some  empty 
bottles  among  the  rubbish,  "A  pity  there  was  no  whisky  in  them  I " 
If  there  had  been,  of  course  we  should  not  .  .   .  well,  who  knows.'* 

1 


CHAPTER   IX 

ROUND   AND   ABOUT   LAKE    BUENOS   AIRES 

Chain  of  lakes — Size  of  lake — Sterility  and  fertility — Trips  to  Cordillera — 
Bones  of  dead  game — Shores  of  lake — Western  shore — Tracks  in  marshes — 
Northern  shore — Rosy  camp  by  Fenix — Guanaco  hunt — Horses  stray — 
Cordillera  wolf — Vain  search  for  huemul — Return  to  Horsham  Camp — Trip 
to  River  Deseado — Paradise  of  wildfowl — Shooting  ostriches — Long-necked 
game  of  Patagonia — No  ruins  or  vestiges  of  older  civilisation  in  Patagonia 
— Hunting  mornings — Wounded  guanaco — Indian  trail — Trip  to  River  de 
los  Antiguos — Meet  ostrich-hunter — Wandering  Gauchos — Wanton  burning 
of  grass — Second  visit  to  Rosy  Camp — Flamingoes — Danger-signals — Scrivenor 
returns  to  Horsham  Camp — River  de  los  Antiguos. 

At  last  we  had  arrived  at  Lake  Buenos  Aires,  a  time  long  looked 
forward  to.  The  pampas  were  crossed  and  left  behind,  and  the 
lower  line  of  the  Andes  was  reached,  the  foothills  of  the  great 
range  whose  upper  summits  we  had  watched  for  weeks  lying  high 
on  the  sky-line,  blue  and  white  and  cold,  sending  the  message  of  a 
great  wind  from  them  to  us.  We  were  now  upon  the  shores  of 
the  largest  of  the  wonderful  network  of  lakes  and  lagoons  which 
stretches  parallel  with  the  Cordillera  hundreds  of  miles  to  the 
southward,  ending  not  far  from  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 

There  was  to  me  something  infinitely  romantic  about  Lake 
Buenos  Aires.  Its  aspect  was  ever  changing,  and  so  often  you 
came  on  a  scene  supremely  beautiful.  The  wild  light  of  sunset 
upon  the  snow-peaks,  the  grey  turbulent  water  of  the  lake,  and  the 
bull-like  wind  charging  down  at  us  day  after  day — all  these  things 
gave  the  place  an  individuality  of  its  own. 

The  lake  is  of  considerable  extent,  measuring  seventy-five  miles 
in  length  from  S.S.W.  to  N.N.E..  and  its  waters  wage  a  continual 
war  upon  the  thorns  and  scrub  growing  upon  the  margin.  Vast 
masses  of  milk-white  timber,  blanched  by  the  influences  of  sun  and 
water   and  eloquent  of  the   mountain-land  of  forest  whence  they 


ROUND  AND  ABOUT  LAKE  BUENOS  AIRES       131 

have  been  washed  down,  lie  at  the  Hp  of  the  flood  level.  When  I 
was  there  in  the  dry  season  the  upper  rim  of  timber  was  about  200 
yards  distant  from  the  edge  of  the  water. 

The  sharp  contrast  of  fertility  and  sterility  that  one  meets  with 


I 


• 


>..-. 


M 


ft 

\ 


M^"""* 


INLET   OF    LAKE    BUENOS   AIRES 


in  Patagonia  is  remarkable,  the  more  so  as  they  often  lie  in  close 
proximity  the  one  to  the  other.  I  have  mentioned  an  arid  spread 
of  yellow  mud  and  stones  cut  up  by  deep  gorges  which  we  crossed 
before  reaching  the  lake.  I  do  not  think  that  any  painter  desiring 
to  picture  desolation  could  do  better  than  descend  the  central  gorge 
and  there  paint  its  gaunt  and  rugged  outlines,  tumbled  together  in 
a  horror  of  barrenness  that  the  eyes  ached  to  look  upon.  Yet  close 
to  this  place,  within  ten  yards  of  it.  a  neck  of  land  displayed  green 
scrub,  ay,  and  flowers — -beautiful  pLirj)le  sweet-pea-likc;  flowers 
in  profusion  !  And  on  the  farther  side  was  a  green  gully  with 
two  blue  peaty  waterholes. 

Near  by,   as   I   have  said,  we   established   a  base  camp,   from 
which  we  made  four  expeditions  towards  the  Cordillera,  which   lie- 


132         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

on  the  westward  of  the  lake,  while,  singularly  enough,  the  conti- 
nental divide  appears  to  be  to  the  eastward  of  it.  On  our  trips  we 
took  with  us  merely  a  horse  apiece,  and  carried  provisions  on  our 
saddles.  Meantime  the  remainder  of  the  troop,  which  had  suffered 
somewhat  on  our  journey  from  Bahia  Camerones,  were  turned  out 
to  rest  and  luxuriate  upon  the  marsh  grass,  that  extended  in  a 
broad  strip  for  a  couple  of  miles  under  the  ridge,  while  downhill 
from  the  camp  towards  the  south  this  rich  pantano  spread  still 
farther. 

Around  the  lake  lay  piled  the  skulls  and  bones  of  dead  game, 
guanaco  and  a  few  huemules.  These  animals  come  down  to  live 
on  the  lower  ground  and  near  unfrozen  water  during  the  cold 
season,  and  there,  when  the  weather  is  particularly  severe,  they  die 
in  crowds.  We  saw  their  skeletons,  in  one  or  two  places  literally 
heaped  one  upon  the  other. 

During  our  stay  in  this  neighbourhood  I  took  the  opportunity 
of  examining  most  thoroughly  the  shores  of  the  lake.  The  ground 
which  descended  to  them  was  cut  and  intersected  hy  pmitanos  of 
wet  or  drying  mud  and  sand.  Upon  the  eastern  shore  rose  dunes, 
covered  with  dense  low  strips  of  scrub.  In  the  pantanos  the 
tracks  made  in  the  end  of  the  winter,  when  the  snow  has  melted 
and  the  ground  is  soft,  remain  visible  for  five  or  six  months. 
And  thus  these  hardened  marshes  offer  a  study  of  considerable 
interest. 

Although  the  Indians  declared  that  guanaco  rarely  visited  the 
lake,  this  proved  to  be  incorrect.  In  the  winter  a  considerable 
number  must  live  upon  and  about  the  shores,  for  their  unmistak- 
able tracks  were  always  to  be  found.  Towards  Mount  Pyramide  on 
the  western  side,  the  number  of  these  tracks  was  distinctly  less 
— rheas,  pumas,  the  animal  known  locally  as  the  red  fox  or 
Cordillera  wolf  [Cants  magellanims). 

A  few  huemules  {Xenelaph^is  bisiilcus)  exist  upon  the  northern 
shore.  In  the  winter  upland  geese  seem  also  to  favour  this  spot 
in  large  numbers.  So  strongly  does  the  mud  retain  the  impres- 
sion of  tracks  that  I  was  able  to  follow  the  trail  of  a  horse,  which 
must  have  been  ridden  by  one  of  Mr.  Waag's  party  six  months 
before,  for  a  distance  of  a  couple  of  miles. 


w.w- 


rw^s 


ra^    » 


'1>*  . 


Pholochromogratmre,  Lyons  &  Lomian 


Tehuelche  spying  Guanaco 


Note.  —  The  TcliiicUlies  probably  ccpicii  this  nictlioil  from  the  Arniunnians.  A^  u  rule  the  Indian  st.iiuK  or  tnccls 
on  his  sheepskin  saddle.  Here  is  depicted  the  extreme  position  which  wovild  be  osMinicd  to  show  olT.  I  have  seen  j;aucho» 
do  a  similar  trick,  though  few  Pntagonian  horses  will  permit  such  liberties. 


ROUND  AND  ABOUT  LAKE  BUENOS  AIRES       133 

In  summer  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires  is  one  of 
the  poorest  game  centres  in  Patagonia.  During  the  first  fortnight 
of  our  stay  there  we  shot  but  two  guanacos.  Sometimes  for  a 
week  one  would  see  nothing  save  an  old  ostrich,  which  was  often 
observed  at  the  far  end  of  the  marsh  where  the  horses  fed,  but 
he  was  a  wary  bird  with  an  experience  of  human  methods,  and  he 
would  never  allow  us  to  approach  within  shot. 

It  seemed  probable,  from  the  evidence  of  the  tracks,  that  at  the 
beeinninor  of  the  hard  weather  the  oruanaco  trekked  down  to  the 
level  of  the  lake.  For  one  track  made  In  November  there  were 
twenty  made  in  July.  The  foregoing  remarks  only  refer  to  the 
northern  shore  of  the  lake  ;  on  the  eastern  and  southern  sides 
things  were  very  different,  and  about  them  we  enjoyed  good 
sport. 

On  November  21,  Scrivenor,  Jones  and  I  made  a  little 
expedition  to  the  River  Fenix  where  It  enters  the  lake,  and  there 
we  came  upon  the  most  favourable  camping-ground  we  had  yet 
seen  in  the  whole  country.  We  pitched  our  camp — afterwards 
called  Rosy  Camp — in  the  midst  of  high  yellow  grass  beside  the 
narrow  river  that  wound  between  banks,  on  which  green  low 
scrub  ran  riot,  and  enormous  califate-bushes  made  impenetrable 
patches  of  thicket.  Jones  and  I,  on  our  arrival,  went  to  examine 
the  mouth  of  the  river.  Our  camp  was  quite  drowsy  with  the 
humminor  of  insects,  for,  sheltered  as  it  was  from  the  wind  by  trees 
and  by  the  cliffs  of  a  lonely  hummock,  it  gave  us  a  delightful  feeling 
of  comfort  and  well-being  after  our  many  very  different  experiences 
of  camps  among  the  high  dunes  and  rocks  over  which  the  wind 
whistled. 

On  the  way  Jones  shot  a  Chlloe  widgeon  and  I  an  upland 
goose.  We  found  many  tracks  of  puma  and  sonic  ot  guanaco  aiul 
huemul.  As  we  walked  towards  the  lake,  I  saw  upon  the  outer- 
most promontory  of  land  a  guanaco  outlined  against  the  evening 
sky.  Hurrying  on  as  fast  as  we  could,  which  was  not  very  fast, 
as  I  had  poisoned  my  knee  and  was  lame,  we  found  the  herd  on  a 
neck  of  land,  to  escape  from  which  they  would  be  obliged  to  pass 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  us  provided  they  tlld  not  take  to  the 
water.      So   we   decided    not  to  stalk    them,   but  simply  showed 


134         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

ourselves  ;  as  we  expected,  they  broke  landwards,  passing-  within 
about  seventy  yards  with  their  ears  laid  back,  swaying  their  long- 
necks  and  leaping  and  jinking  among  the  stones.  I  pulled  one 
over  as  she  ranged  up  the  side  of  the  cliff.  She  turned  out  to  be 
heavy  with  young,  and  the  buck  with  her  stopped  at  the  top  of 
the  hill,  but  when  I  went  towards  him  he  fled.  We  were  delighted 
at  thus  getting  meat,  especially  as  this  guanaco  was  the  fattest  we 
had  yet  shot.      Her  flesh  was,  however,  very  strong. 

When  we  were  returning  Jones,  who  was  in  front,  suddenly 
said,  "  There  go  the  horses  !  "  It  was  so.  They  had  stampeded, 
leaving  us  to  get  home  as  best  we  could.  We  threw  off  our  coats, 
laid  down  our  rifles  carefully,  and  ran.  Jones'  horse  was  in  hobbles, 
but  being  used  to  them  kept  up  with  his  companions  ;  we  were, 
however,  lucky  enough  to  catch  them  after  a  couple  of  miles,  and 
makinof  bridles  out  of  our  waist-scarves  rode  them  into  camp. 
Scrivenor  said  the  horses  had  suddenly  started  madly,  broken 
their  cabrestos,  dashed  together  and  then  made  off.  W^e  thought 
at  the  time  they  must  have  winded  a  puma,  but  this  proved  to  be 
a  mistake,  for  in  the  night  two  of  them  again  escaped,  and  Jones 
retrieved  them  when  the  first  streaks  of  dawn  were  etching  the 
landscape  in  black  and  white.  He  woke  me  and  we  discovered 
that  a  wolf  must  have  come  into  camp  and  stolen  our  duck  and 
goose.  This  wolf  had  also  eaten  both  my  rifle-slings  within  three 
yards  of  where  we  were  sleeping.  W  hile  we  were  discussing 
our  ill  luck  and  lamenting  the  fact  that  we  had  carefully  plucked 
the  duck  and  goose  upon  the  preceding  evening,  I  observed 
the  author  of  our  misfortunes  calmly  watching  us  from  under  a 
bush.  Revenge  was,  of  course,  uppermost  in  my  thoughts.  I  killed 
her  with  a  Mauser.  She  proved  to  be  an  old  female  3  ft.  8  in. 
from  the  top  of  her  teeth  to  the  end  of  her  tail 

It  was  beautifully  warm  all  day  in  Rosy  Camp,  as  we  had 
named  it,  and  we  lay  on  the  ground  after  making  much-needed 
toilettes  in  the  river. 

The  next  niirht  we  had  a  visit  from  the  mate  of  the  wolf 
we  had  killed.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  the  horses  were  at  the 
least  as  much  afraid  of  these  wolves  as  they  were  of  the  pumas. 
While   I  was  writing  my  diary  and  nursing  my  knee,  which  had 


THK  HOKSHS  k'i;tru;\ed 


ROUND  AND  ABOUT  LAKE  BUENOS  AIRES       135 

swollen  to  a  great  size,  the  wolf  crept  within  ten  yards  and  had  a 
look  at  me.      I   got   up   and  limped  across   for  my  gun,   but   my 
movements  did  not  in  the  least  seem  to  discompose  his  serenity. 
He  even  advanced  nearer,  and  showed  not  the  smallest  fear  of  me. 
This  quality  of  fearlessness  is  very  marked  in  the  Cordillera  wolves, 
which  possess  it  in   a 
greater  degree  than  the 
pampa  foxes.      On  one 
occasion   when  a  wolf 
thus  came    to  investi- 
gate    our    camp,     my     -j^ 
large  deerhound,  Tom, 
ran    at    him,   and   was 
met  with  a  devastating  f,| 

bite.      Indeed,  I  had  to  ", 

go  to  Tom's  help.      In 
the  present  instance  I 
took   up   the  shot-gun 
and  gave  the  brute  a  charge  of  No.  4.      He  leaped  straight  upwards 
into  the  air,  howling  and  snarling,  and  sank  down  quite  dead. 

These  wolves  kill  young  guanaco,  and  I  have  observed  them 
pursuing  a  huemul.  They  kill  sheep  when  a  Hock  is  brought  into 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cordillera,  generally  remaining  by  their 
(quarry  after  daylight.  I  have  never  observed  them  farther 
from  the  Cordillera  than  the  northern  shores  of  Lake  Buenos 
Aires. 

On  November  24,  Scrivenor  went  back  to  the  base  camp,  as 
he  had  toothache.  Jones  and  I  rode  south  across  the  Fenix. 
Althouoh  we  saw  the  track  of  a  huemul  in  the  sand  we  failed  to 
catch  any  glimpse  of  the  animals  themselves  on  that  day,  but  shot 
four  bandurias,  locally  called  by  the  Welshmen  "  land-ducks."  This 
is  the  black-faced  ibis  [Tkerislicus  caiidatus).  I  was  very  eager 
to  secure  a  specimen  of  the  huemul  in  his  siunmer  coat,  ami  io 
observe  as  much  as  possible  of  this  beautiful  deer,  but  no  luck 
attended  us  then  in  thai  particular.  r'inally,  we  went  back  to 
Horsham  Camp  still  unsuccessful.  During  our  absence  Burbury 
had  killed  a  large  Cordillera  wolf  near  Horsham  Camp. 


136         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

On  November  28,  Barckhausen  and  I  camped  In  the  canadori 
or  valley  of  River  Deseado,  a  swampy,  reedy  spot,  tenanted  by 
great  numbers  of  upland  geese,  flocks  of  Chiloe  widgeon  {Marcca 
sibilatrix)  and  brown  pintails.  I  also  observed  here  the  rosy- 
billed  duck  {^Metopiana  peposaca),  the  blue-winged  teal  [Querqzce- 
cinla  cyanopterd),  and  what  I  took  to  be  the  red  shoveller  [Spatti/a 
plataleci).  But  this  last-named  bird  I  did  not  shoot,  and  so  I 
cannot  speak  with  absolute  certainty  upon  the  point.  Besides 
these,  I  saw  flamingoes  i^PhcenicoptertLS  ignipalliatus)  and  the 
black-necked  swan  [CygJiis  nigricollis).  A  flock  of  parrots  were 
flying  about  the  heights,  but  of  these  I  was  unable  to  procure  a 
specimen.  The  reedy  pools  and  backwaters  in  this  canadon  were, 
without  exception,  the  most  glorious  paradise  of  wildfowl  that  I 
have  ever  seen. 

On  our  way  back  from  the  River  Deseado  I  secured  the  first 
Rhea  darwini  shot  during  the  expedition.  With  the  exception  of 
wild  cattle,  the  ostrich  is  the  most  difficult  to  procure  of  Pata- 
gonian  game.  These  birds  are  always  on  the  alert,  and  generally 
make  off  when  you  are  still  a  mile  away.  They  never  pause  save 
upon  commanding  ground.  The  most  usual  method  of  obtaining 
them  is  to  run  them  down  with  doofs  or  to  bolas  them  after  the 
manner  of  the  Indians  and  Gauchos  on  horseback.  They  are 
indeed  a  quarry  well  worthy  of  the  attention  of  the  still-hunter. 
The  male  is  sometimes  killed  with  a  rifle  when  attending  to  the 
chickens,  towards  whom — with  the  exception  of  laying  the  eggs — 
he  stands  in  place  of  a  mother.  At  such  times  he  will,  when 
approached,  pretend  to  be  wounded  and  limp  away  with  wings 
outspread  to  attract  the  hunters  after  him.  An  ostrich  when  shot 
through  the  body  will  always  run  from  thirty  to  forty  yards  before 
dropping.  This  first  ostrich,  which  I  shot,  was  about  four  hundred 
yards  away,  and  I  should  not  have  secured  him  had  he  not  allowed 
me  to  get  my  range  with  a  couple  of  preliminary  shots.  Down  he 
went  at  last,  and,  immediately  afterwards,  as  I  was  congratulating 
myself,  appeared  an  ostrich  running  low  through  the  grass.  I 
thought  it  was  the  one  I  had  shot  and  struck  back  for  my  horse. 
While  I  was  galloping  after  the  fast- disappearing  bird,  I  rode 
rioht  on  to  the  first  bird,  which  had  been  shot  throuo^h  the  luno^s. 


ROUND  AND  ABOUT  LAKE  BUENOS  AIRES       137 

On  measurement  I  found  him  to  be  five  feet  in  heiirht  and  three 
feet  high  at  the  shoulder. 

The  "^reatest  number  of  adult  ostriches  1  ever  saw  tosfether  was 
seven.  This  in  a  canadon  off  the  River  Deseado.  At  a  later 
date  I  saw  forty-two  together,  but  this  included  many  small  and 
immature  birds. 

The  lonor-necked  grame  of  Patao-onia  is  difficult  to  stalk  owino- 
to  their  having  such  a  field  of  vision.  The  ruse  of  tying  up  one's 
horse  in  full  view  gained  me  many  a  guanaco,  but  was  quite  a 
useless  trick  in  the  case  of  ostriches.  The  Cruzado  was  by  this  time 
an  A I  shooting-horse.  He  would  stand  anywhere  and  wait  my 
return,  he  would  also  allow  me  to  fire  quite  close  to  him,  but  he 
would  never  allow  any  white  object  to  be  put  upon  his  back.  If 
this  was  done,  he  would  at  once  rear  and  throw  himself  back. 

There  is  one  thino-  which  strikes  me  forciblv  with  regard  to 
Patagonia.  Here  is  small  vestige  of  the  elder  peoples,  and  little 
of  any  older  civilisations.*  Even  in  the  hearts  of  deserts  in  the 
old  world  are  to  be  found  traces  of  ancient  cities,  where  men  lived 
long  ages  ago.  But  nothing  that  bears  farthest  resemblance  to  a 
ruin,  to  the  "one  stone  laid  upon  another"  that  tells  of  man's 
settled  home,  exists  in  Patagonia.  Yet  though  the  ruined  cities  of 
other  countries  are  old,  Patagonia  is  older  yet.  The  nomad  tribes 
have  roamed  here  through  the  centuries,  leaving  the  grass  to  grow 
over  their  old  camp-fires,  but  never  altering  or  marking  with  any 
permanent  mark  the  face  of  this  old  land.  No,  though  Patagonia 
is  in  a  sense  the  oldest  of  all,  for  here  we  come  face  to  face  with 
prehistoric  times — the  skeletons  of  the  greater  beasts,  the  (lint 
weapons  of  primitive  man  with  practically  nothing  save  the  years 
to  intervene.  A  lean  humanity,  untouched  by  aught  save  nature, 
has  run  out  its  appointed  course  until  very  recent  years  ;  and  there 
is  little  to  testify  to  its  wanderings  but  the  brown  trail  of  generations 
of  footsteps,  which  ten  years  of  disuse  would  blot  out  for  ever.  \ ov\ 
cannot  there  gaze  over  the  ruins  of  a  once  populous  city  and  say, 
"  Here  lived  a  dead  people."  No,  you  can  but  think  by  lonc-K- 
river   or  lagoon,  "  The  bygone  Indians  may  here    have  had   their 

■•=  I  believe,  as  does  Dr.  Moreno,  that  a  race  of  Indians,  now  extinct,  ouco  dwelled 
among  the  foothills  of  the  Cordillera. 


138         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

camp,  or  the  i^reater  beasts  their  lair."  The  netted  lakes,  the  gaunt 
Cordillera,  the  limitless  pampa  and  the  unceasing  wind — that 
is  all.  Canadon  follows  canadon,  pampa  succeeds  pampa,  you 
have  the  Atlantic  to  the  east  of  you  and  the  Andes  to  the  west  of 
you,  and  between,  in  all  the  vast  country,  beside  the  Indian  trail, 
the  only  paths  are  game-tracks  ! 

On  December  2  we  were  again  short  of  meat,  therefore  Jones 
and  I  went  hunting.  These  early  mornings  upon  the  high  ground 
above  the  lake  will  never,  I  think,  be  forgotten  by  any  of  us  who 
shared  them.  It  was  a  vivid  and  pulsating  life,  and  the  hunting 
was  carried  on  under  conditions  unique  to  Patagonia. 

In  the  slight  depression  through  which  the  River  Fenix  winds, 
herds  of  guanaco  were  to  be  found,  each  point  containing  any 
number  between  half  a  dozen  to  forty  head.  On  the  morning  I 
write  of  we  were  not  long  in  finding  our  game.  A  large  herd, 
including  several  guanaco  chicos,  were  to  be  seen  from  the  heights 
dotted  about  upon  the  faded  greenish  grass  of  the  valley  beneath 
us.  The  sun,  newly  risen,  had  just  begun  to  suck  up  the  balls  of 
white  mist  that  rolled  up  and  down  the  cuplike  hollows,  and  as 
the  lio-ht  strencrthened  it  brouo-ht  out  the  o-old  and  white  colourino- 
of  the  guanacos  feeding  in  the  valley.  The  horse  I  was  riding 
had  done  no  work  for  three  weeks,  and  was  fit  to  gallop  for  his 
life. 

The  herds  were  in  a  place  quite  inaccessible  to  stalking,  but  it 
was  certain  that  they  would  break  for  the  hills  to  the  south. 
Immediately  they  saw  us  they  took  to  fiight  in  the  direction  we 
expected,  and  we  dashed  away  to  cut  them  off  The  Patagonian 
horse  soon  begins  to  take  an  interest  of  his  own  in  galloping- 
game.  We  arrived  within  two  hundred  yards  of  where  the  herds 
had  begun  to  straggle  in  a  long  line  up  the  bare  side  of  a  range  of 
round  bald-headed  hummocks,  but  we  were  not  in  time  to  get  a 
shot  before  they  disappeared  over  the  sky-line.  When  we  reached 
the  top  of  the  hills  the  guanacos  were,  of  course,  nowhere  to  be 
seen,  but  after  an  hour's  trackiuLT  we  ao^ain  located  them  amono- 
the  hummocks  in  a  depression  filled  with  dry  thorn.  This  time 
we  separated  and  Jones  showed  himself  at  the  far  end  of  the  gorge, 
while  I  made  a  circuit  and  lay  down  upon  the  top  of  a  hill  towards 


ROUND  AND  ABOUT  LAKE  BUENOS  AIRES       139 

which  I  thought  they  were  Hkely  to  break.  This  they  did  the 
instant  they  saw  Jones,  who  got  a  shot,  breaking  the  leg  of  one. 
I  killed  another  as  they  passed.     We  jumped  upon  our  horses  to 


STEKILE   GROUND    TO    NOKTH    OF    LARK    liUENOS    AIKKS 

overtake  Jones'  wounded  guanaco,  that  was  keeping  up  with  the 
herd. 

My  horse,  the  Alazan,  had  recently  received  some  jumping 
lessons,  and  being  an  animal  with  no  sense  of  proportion,  had  been 
seized  with  a  mania  for  jumping  everything.  Jones  nearly  fell  oft 
his  horse  witli  lausfhino^  when  the  Alazan  valiantK"  cliarLied  a 
califate-bush.  eio-ht  feet  hicjh  and  full  of  thorns,  through  which  he 
dashed  in  one  jump  and  two  supplementary  bucks.  Emerging 
upon  the  other  side  we  set  off  after  our  guanaco  and  enjoyed  one 
of  the  most  glorious  gallops  that  ever  fell  to  the  k)t  of  man.  1 
could  not  help  admiring  the  way  in  which  Jones,  who  was  a  born 
rider,  and,  like  most  Gauchos,  had  lived  all  his  life  on  the  outside 
of  a  horse,  picked  his  way  among  the  great  fragments  of  rock  that 


I40         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

filled  the  hollows.  The  Alazan  jumped  them,  and  proceeded  upon 
his  appointed  path  to  his  own  evident  satisfaction,  the  infinite 
amusement  of  Jones,  and  the  terror  of  myself.  However,  though 
one  might  take  exception  to  his  methods,  the  Alazan  had  a  turn 
for  speed  and  bore  my  fourteen  stone  nobly  to  the  front. 

Presently  the  guanaco  we  were  pursuing  dashed  across  a  shallow 
lagoon  and  fell  upon  the  farther  side  of  it.  As  we  dismounted  we 
observed  fresh  tracks  of  a  wild  bull,  which  was  heading  north-west 
towards  the  Cordillera.  Althouoh  we  followed  these  tracks  for 
twenty  miles  and  came  upon  ample  evidence  of  their  being  quite 
recently  made,  evening  fell  upon  us  and  we  were  obliged  to  turn 
campwards. 

On  our  arrival  we  had  a  look  at  the  horses  and  sat  up  late 
expecting  the  return  of  Barckhausen  and  Burbury,  who  had  gone 
to  look  for  the  Indian  trail,  which  the  Indians  told  us  led  under  the 
foothills  of  the  Cordillera  to  the  end  of  the  continent.  I  have 
given  a  description  of  the  trail  in  another  place.  It  is  in  its  way 
as  remarkable  a  highroad  as  the  Grand  Trunk  Road  in  India. 
Were  it  not  for  the  tracks  of  horses,  and  the  occasional  dead 
camp-fire  to  which  it  leads  you,  it  would  be  impossible  to  distin- 
guish it  from  a  series  of  guanaco-tracks  running  parallel.  Never- 
theless, many  an  ostrich-hunter  has  by  its  aid  found  his  way  into 
the  settlements,  when  without  it  he  would  have  wandered  far  and 
wide  upon  the  pampas. 

It  was  not  before  the  next  day,  however,  that  Burbury  and 
Barckhausen  returned  with  the  news  that  they  had  found  the  trail' 
some  twenty  leagues  away  near  the  canadon  of  the  River  Deseado. 
I  have  mentioned  my  great  desire  to  shoot  a  huemul 
{Xenela/y/ius  disulcus),  and,  as  we  had  been  disappointed  in  this 
respect  in  our  former  expeditions,  I  decided  to  penetrate  into  the 
""orcje  of  the  River  de  los  Anti^uos.  We  made  arrantjements  for 
an  absence  of  some  duration  from  the  base  camp,  leaving  Jones 
and  Burbury  in  charge. 

On  the  5th  we  started,  and,  while  riding  to  Rosy  Camp,  saw 
columns  of  smoke  arising  from  amonost  the  hills  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Fenix.  We  thought  they  were  signals  of  Indians  and 
answered  them.      By  here  and   there  burning  a  bush  we  signalled 


ROUND  AND  ABOUT  LAKE  BUENOS  AIRES       141 

to  the  unknown,  and  in  this  way  drew  together.  It  was  upon  the 
yellow  shores  of  a  dry  lagoon  that  we  met  with  the  first  white  man 
we  had  seen  since  leaving  Colohuapi.  This  man  and  his  errand 
were  so  typical  of  the  country  and  its  methods  of  life  that  I  do 
not  apologise  for  sketching  his  portrait  at  full  length. 

As  he  came  riding  towards  us  we  perceived  that  he  was  seated 
upon  a  saddle  of  sheepskins,  and  rode  a  yellow  horse,  whose  con- 
dition told  its  own  story.  In  Patagonia  one  gets  into  the  habit  of 
noticing  the  horse  before  the  rider.  The  practised  eye  can  learn 
from  its  appearance  and  condition  the  answers  to  at  least  three 
questions.  The  rider  was  a  very  small  Argentine,  and  he  had,  he 
informed  us,  come  up  from  San  Julian.  You  who  do  not  know 
Patagonia  may  think  it  strange  that  one  should  meet  with  one's 
fellow  creatures  miles  from  anywhere,  but  the  Patagonian  Gaucho 
is  in  his  way  unique.  He  is  as  much  a  pioneer  of  civilisation  as 
were  the  fur-clad  hunters  of  the  Bad  Lands  of  North  America.  Bv 
habit  and  by  choice  the  Gaucho  is  a  nomad.  It  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that,  grumbler  as  he  is  when  upon  the  pampas,  there  is  a 
deep-seated  instinct  in  his  heart  ever  leading  him  back  to  that 
peculiar  mode  of  life  which  has  become  second  nature  to  him. 
There  is  an  idea  in  England  that  Patagonia  is  as  untrodden  as  the 
Polar  regions.  But  this  is  a  fallacy.  The  tides  of  civilisation  are 
moving  slowly  westwards,  and  will  so  continue  to  move  until  they 
are  thrown  back  by  the  great  natural  barrier  of  the  Andes.  But 
as  the  tide  will  often  fling  a  little  wreath  of  foam  far  ahead  of  its 
advance — a  wreath  that  disappears  for  the  moment  perhaps,  but 
yet  its  fall  has  marked  a  spot  that  in  course  of  time  will  be 
swept  over  by  the  rising  water  ;  so  in  Patagonia  these  few  wan- 
derers break  away  from  the  settlements  upon  the  coast,  and  set  out 
with  their  little  store  of  flour, /h-;'/;)^,  and  mate,  their  troop  of  horses, 
and  their  half-dozen  hounds.  They  say  that  they  are  looking  for 
good  ground  or,  as  they  call  it,  good  camp  to  settle  upon,  but  few 
of  them  actually  carry  out  this  final  intention.  It  is  the  free  life 
that  they  love,  the  wild  gallops  after  the  ostriches  and  tlie 
guanacos,  the  sound  slumbers  under  the  stars,  and  the  absence  o{ 
all  control. 

Such  a  wanderer  was  our  small  friend.      I  Ic  had.  he  .said,  two 


142         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

companions,  whom  he  had  lost  when  running  ostriches.  As  we  sat 
there  upon- our  horses  and  looked  from  the  man  to  the  great  clouds 
of  smoke  which  were  arising  from  the  direction  of  the  Fenix,  of 
w^iich  he  was  the  miserable  author,  one  felt  inclined  to  throw  him 
in  his  own  fire.  For  whereas,  whenever  I  or  my  men  lit  a  smoke, 
we  were  careful  that  it  should  burn  but  one  bush,  and  not  spread 
to  scar  and  disfigure  the  face  of  the  country,  this  irresponsible  little 
being,  who  had,  as  it  were,  ridden  to  meet  us  out  of  the  nowhere, 
persistently  lit  his  reckless  fires  among  the  best  grass,  so  that  they 
burnt  huge  areas.  It  was  a  remarkable,  and  in  its  way  a  painful, 
reflection  that  this  puny  bit  of  humanity  with  his  box  of  cheap 
matches  could  do  more  harm  in  half  an  hour  than  he  would  be 
likely  to  be  able  to  repair  during  a  lifetime.  The  fact  is,  a  fire  will 
burn  a  very  small  area  upon  the  pampas  near  the  coast,  where 
there  is  little  for  the  flames  to  take  hold  upon,  while  here  in  the 
high  grass,  near  the  Cordillera,  it  may  rage  for  two  or  three  days, 
devastating  and  blackening  the  landscape. 

Rather  annoyed  with  the  small  man,  I  directed  Barckhausen  to 
ask  him  why  he  had  lighted  so  many  smokes.  He  replied  that  he 
had  done  so  in  order  to  recall  his  companions.  As  the  man  was, 
after  the  fashion  of  the  pampa,  our  guest,  there  was  nothing  more 
to  be  said  on  the  matter,  but  had  I  foreseen  how  much  trouble  his 
mania  for  raising  smokes  was  yet  to  cause  us,  I  should  probably 
have  remonstrated  with  him. 

That  evening,  as  we  rode  into  Rosy  Camp,  we  saw  a  number 
of  flamingos  upon  the  lagoon,  and  shot  an  upland  goose.  The 
following  morning  I  woke  up  in  the  grey  of  the  dawn  to  see  a  Cor- 
dillera wolf  nosing  among  the  ashes  of  our  camp-fire.  I  shot  it,  to 
the  ofreat  delioht  of  the  small  man,  from  whom  after  breakfast  we 
parted.  We  had  not  advanced  a  mile  before  the  little  demon  was 
again  sending  up  a  smoke  to  heaven.  Burbury,  who  met  him  after- 
wards, said  he  believed  that  he  carried  a  cargo  of  nothing  but 
matches  in  order  to  be  able  to  indulge  to  the  utmost  his  passion 
for  destroying  the  country  through  which  he  happened  to  be 
passing. 

On  December  7  we  arrived  above  the  River  de  los  Antiguos, 
and,  as  we  were  about  to  descend  the  barranca,  saw  two  columns 


ROUND  AND  ABOUT  LAKE  BUENOS  AIRES       143 

of  smoke  rising  some  two  miles  off.  Two  columns  of  smoke 
close  together  were  our  danger-signal,  and  meant  "  Something  very 
wrong,  come  at  once."  I  was  morally  certain  that  they  were  the 
work  of  the  small  man,  whom  we  had  nicknamed  "the  Snipe," 
especially  as  the  smokes  were  lit  at  a  distance  from  the  position  of 
Horsham  Camp,  and  if  anything  serious  had  happened,  it  seemed 
most  probable  that  the  two  men  left  in  charge  there  would  have 
lit  their  signal-fires  on  the  hill  close  behind  the  camp,  instead  of 
riding  to  some  distance  for  that  purpose.  However,  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  send  Scrivenor  back,  with  instructions  to  show 
a  smoke  upon  the  shore  of  the  lake  behind  an  island  in  our  view 
if  my  presence  were  really  required, 

W^hile  he  returned  to  Horsham  Camp,  Barckhausen  and  I  rode 
on  towards  the  cafiadon  of  the  River  de  los  Antio-uos. 


CHAPTER   X 

THE   GORGE   OF  THE    RIVER    DE    LOS   ANTIGUOS 

Descent  into  Gorge  of  the  River  de  los  Antiguos — Rest-and-be-Thankful  Camp 
— First  huemul — Greed  of  condors — Aspect  of  Gorge — Tameness  of  guanaco — 
Join  Van  Plaaten's  route — Stinging  flies — Signal-smokes — De  los  Antiguos  in 
flood — Difficulty  of  crossing — Attempt  to  swim  over — Washed  away — Loss  of 
rifle  and  gun — Return  to  western  bank — Cold  night — Start  next  morning — 
Upper  ford  impassable — Scanty  diet — Fording  torrent — Long  ride  to  Horsham 
Camp — Fire-blackened  landscape — News  of  red  puma. 

Barckhausen  and  I  continued  along  the  south  shore  of  the  lake 
until  we  struck  the  River  de  los  Antiguos,  a  small  but  rapid  torrent 
flowing  through  a  huge  frowning  gorge,  between  very  steep 
barrancas.  Farther  to  the  west  a  second  river,  the  River  Jeinemeni, 
runs  for  some  distance  almost  parallel  with  it  and  discharges  itself 
into  the  lake  some  little  distance  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  Antiguos. 
Between  these  two  rivers  lies  a  tableland,  which  I  was  anxious  to 
visit.  We,  therefore,  looked  for  a  favourable  place  to  descend  into 
the  valley  of  the  River  de  los  Antiguos,  and  presently  discovered 
a  spot  where  the  cliffs  were  rather  less  perpendicular.  The 
bai'ranca,  which  was  about  one  hundred  and  hfty  feet  in  height, 
being  composed  of  sliding  sand  and  stones,  covered  with  a  high 
growth  of  bushes,  presented  a  troublesome  route  for  the  horses. 
They  had  been  tied  together  by  their  headstalls,  the  only  way  in 
which  it  was  possible  to  drive  them.  It  was  now  necessary  to 
dismount  and  take  them  down  singly.  Two  of  them,  Mula  and 
Luna,  refused  to  face  the  slope,  and  had  to  be  urged  on  by  per- 
suasions from  behind.  When  Mula  at  last  consented  to  beoin  the 
descent,  he  lost  his  head  and  slid  down  the  barranca,  almost  carry- 
ing Barckhausen,  who  was  pulling  at  his  cabresto  from  below,  with 
him. 

When  we  all  arrived  safely  at  the  bottom,  we  found  the  bed  of 


THE  GORGE  OF  THE  RIVER  DE  LOS  ANTIGUOS    145 

the  river  was  formed  of  large  boulders,  and  progress  was  conse- 
quently very  slow.  After  a  time  we  forded  across,  the  water 
barely  reaching  to  the   horses'  knees,  but  flowing  so  rapidly  as  to 


LAKE    KUKNos    AIKKS    FROM    THK    CANADON   OF   THE    RIVER    DE    LOS    ANTIGUOS 


bring  down  good-sized  tree-trunks  with  it.  We  made  a  camp  in  a 
bare  place  backed  by  a  deep  green  forest.  After  our  meal,  which 
consisted  of  half  an  emergency  ration  each,  a  couple  of  two-ounce 
dumplings  and  some  tea,  we  climbed  the  western  barranca,  and 
discovered  an  open  space  in  the  forest,  where  the  grass  rose  to  our 
middles,  and  we  were  greeted  by  the  wet  smell  of  earth,  to  which  we 
had  long  been  strangers  on  the  dry  stretches  of  the  pampas.  We 
called  the  spot  Rest-and-be- thankful  Camp,  and  at  once  moved  the 
horses  up  to  it,  and  on  the  way  Fritz,  who  happened  to  be  in  an 
obstinate  mood,  lay  down  among  the  stones.  Little  did  wc  think 
at  the  time  how  often  we  were  destined  to  climb  up  and  down  that 
weary  barranca. 

A  number  of  animals  live  in  the  Gorge  of  the  River  de  los 
Antiguos.  Quite  close  to  the  camp  I  found  tracks  of  wolves, 
guanaco,    huemul,    a    wild    cat,    and   the  smaller  rodents.      There 


146         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

was  a  little  story  to  be  read  on  the  wet  sand.  A  huemul  had 
come  down  to  drink  the  preceding-  evening,  and  had  been  stalked 
by  a  puma  and  her  cub.  The  puma  must  have  been  giving  her 
offspring  a  lesson  in  killing.  You  could  see  that  the  puma  had 
leaped  upon  the  huemul  from  a  neighbouring  thicket,  and  there 
had  been  a  struggle.  The  huemul,  however,  managed  to  dash 
back  into  the  trees  and  finally  made  his  escape  upon  the  other 
side  of  the  patch  of  forest. 

After  resting  the  night  we  rode  up  the  Gorge,  where  we  saw 
some  QTuanaco  and  found  an  ostrich  egfo-.  We  left  the  three  extra 
horses  tethered  in  the  camp,  and  rode  along  the  heights  above  the 
river.  The  going  was  bad  all  the  time.  Stones,  cliffs  and  rifts 
hindered  our  advance,  but  presently  we  began  to  leave  the  bush 
behind  and  entered  into  a  bare  tract  of  iron-grey  hillsides  and 
black  boulders.  Here  we  stopped  for  a  meal,  for  which  we  made 
an  omelette  of  the  ostrich  egg,  and  ate  it  powdered  with  chocolate. 
We  cooked  it  in  a  tin  plate  with  a  little  mutton-fat,  and  uncommonly 
ffood  we  found  it. 

About  two  leagues  farther  on  I  shot  a  guanaco,  but  my  desire 
was  to  see  a  huemul.  Every  new  variety  of  game  was  of  interest 
to  us,  not  only  from  the  zoological  point  of  view,  but  also  from 
that  of  the  hungry  man,  for  we  had  had  a  very  long  spell  of 
guanaco  meat.  We  spent  the  night  in  a  spot  where  the  horses 
fed  on  some  fair  grass. 

We  climbed  the  highest  eminence  at  dawn  and  looked  out  for 
a  smoke  behind  the  island,  but  seeing  none  we  pushed  on.  I  was 
riding  far  ahead  along  the  tableland  above  the  river  valley  when  I 
saw  a  huemul.  It  sprang  out  from  some  rocks  ahead  of  me.  It 
was  a  young  buck,  and  when  he  caught  sight  of  me  he  stood  at 
gaze.  The  huemul  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  deer  in  the  world, 
although  he  only  carries  small  spiked  horns  of  no  great  size.  His 
summer  coat  is  of  a  rich  reddish-brown,  which,  when  examined 
closely,  is  found  to  be  thickly  mingled  with  white  hairs.  In  shape 
huemules  are  rather  strongly  built,  being  about  the  size  of  fallow- 
deer.  I  have  oiven  a  detailed  account  of  the  habits  of  the  huemul. 
of  which  no  other  record  exists,  in  a  later  chapter,  so  will  say  no 
more  upon  that  subject  here.      I  was  most  unwillingly  obliged   to 


Photo  hy  W.  //.  Iingden\  [Homhitm 

BEST    III'AI)   OF    HURMUL   (.\'/'..WF.l..l/'/fUS   H/SULCUS) 

Sllol     llV    Till-.   AlTllciR 

(/'/  ///(•  Hriliik  Museum  oj   Wilural  /Jhti^ry) 


<'^' 


c. 


X^, 


y 


THE  GORGE  OF  THE  RIVER  DE  LOS  ANTIGUOS    147 

shoot  the  buck,  for  we  were  m  need  of  food.  Leaving  the  meat, 
after  tying  a  handkerchief  above  it  to  scare  away  the  condors,  we 
hastened  back  to  fetch  the  extra  horses.  We  had  had  scanty  diet 
for  some  days,  and  the  thought  of  a  full  meal  put  strength  into  us. 
We  were  not  long  in  bringing  up  the  remainder  of  our  troop,  but 
when  returning  we  saw  three  condors  drop  suspiciously  near  the  dead 
huemul.  By  the  time  we  arrived  there  was  hardly  an  ounce  of  meat 
left  on  the  bones,  and  only  the  quarter,  which  we  had  hidden  in  the 
bushes,  remained,  even  that  beino-  a  o-ood  deal  torn  and  mangled. 

or?  o 

Such  as  it  was,  however,  we  made  the  best  of  it,  and  after 
cutting  away  the  damaged  parts,  found  enough  for  a  meal.  It 
turned  out  to  be  the  driest,  stringiest,  worst  meat  I  have  ever  for 
my  sins  been  forced  to  eat* 

As  night  fell,  the  Gorge — it  became  ^/le  Gorge  to  us — assumed 
a  more  and  more  sinister  aspect.  Of  all  the  scenes  I  had  up 
to  that  time  beheld  in  Patagonia,  this  was  the  most  repellent 
and  inhospitable.  The  little  torrent  (which  was  destined  to  play 
us  such  a  trick),  the  high  iron-grey  bluffs  and  escarpments,  the 
soaring  condors,  the  scavenger  caranchos,  and  the  black  shadows 
of  the  Cordillera,  made  up  a  picture  that  was  both  grand  and 
menacing. 

Next  day  I  shot  a  guanaco.  Very  much  easier  work  than  it 
had  been  on  the  pampas.  A  guanaco  would  remain  lying  down 
until  you  were  within  a  long  shot,  and  one  actually  watched  us 
and  neighed  while  we  discussed  our  porridge.  ^lan  had  never. 
I  fancy,  molested  them  before. 

We  advanced  for  a  good  distance  up  the  river  over  terribly  bad 
ground,  all  boulders  and  steep  cliffs,  and  then  we  attempted  to  ford 
to  the  other  side.  The  two  black  horses,  however,  seemed  to 
have  conceived  a  horror  of  the  river  and  could  not  be  induced  to 
cross.  They  simply  made  us  very  wet,  and  we  had  to  go  forward 
on  foot.  We  were  now  within  easy  distance  of  the  end  of  the 
Gorge,  and  had  joined  the  route  of  Von  Plaatent  from  the 
south. 

■■'•  This  was  a  very  lean  buck  ;    a  fat  doe  is  excellent. 

t  Louis  von  Plaaten  Hallermund,  of  the  Argentine  Boundary  Coniniission,  almost 
reached  Lake  Buenos  Aires  from  Lake  Puerrydon  about  two  years  previously. 
Mr.  Waa,!^'  hail  completed  the  journey,  but  wo  did  not  know  this. 


148         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

On  December  10  I  went  out  in  the  evening  to  shoot  some- 
thing for  the  pot.  On  the  first  ridge  I  came  to  I  stalked  and 
killed  a  big  guanaco  buck,  putting  a  bullet  into  his  lungs.  Then  I 
signalled  to  Barckhausen  to  come  and  help  to  cut  him  up.  As  I 
waited  there  in  the  fading  light,  wondering  at  the  desolation  of 
the  place,  a  little  huemul  buck  came  bounding  along  and  "  paid 
the  penalty,"  as  the  cricket  reporters  say.  1  had  some  trouble 
to  keep  off  the  condors  while  I  went  to  some  distance  to  call 
Barckhausen. 

Altogether  the  Gorge  was  not  an  inviting  spot  with  its  hot 
marshy  valleys  and  fat  stinging  files.  After  sweating  among  the 
boulders  in  the  lower  ground,  if  we  climbed  the  bari'-anca,  the  chill 
wind  from  the  Cordillera  nipped  our  very  bones. 

As  I  sat  writing  my  diary  during  those  days,  diabolical-looking 
insects  with  upturned  tails  used  to  crawl  across  the  page. 

My  desire  to  penetrate  farther  at  that  time  seemed  likely  to  be 
fulfilled,  as  so  far  we  had  seen  no  warning  smoke  from  the  lake 
direction.  The  chief  difficulties  hindering  our  advance  were  the 
treacherous  footing  on  the  barrancas,  which  we  were  obliged  to 
scale  very  frequently,  and  the  trouble  with  the  horses  both  on 
them  and  at  the  fords. 

Finally  I  decided  to  leave  Barckhausen  with  the  horses  and  to 
walk  on  as  long  as  food  held  out,  for  the  boulders  made  riding 
impossible.  But  next  morning,  just  as  I  had  fixed  up  my  kit 
preparatory  to  starting,  a  column  of  smoke  began  to  arise  some- 
where in  the  direction  of  the  lake.  We  fancied  at  first  it  was 
Scrivenor,  who  had  come  back  to  rejoin  us,  and  we  hastened  up 
the  cliff.  But  in  that  clear  air  distances  are  very  deceptive,  and 
the  smoke,  which  from  the  depth  of  the  Gorge  had  looked  so  near, 
turned  out  to  be  on  the  farther  shore  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires. 
Then  we  perceived  there  were  two  fires  throwing  up  their  smoke 
in  the  mornini*-  sun — the  "  Come-at-once  "  siornal. 

We  did  not  loiter,  but  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  were  climbing 
the  bai^ranca  from  our  camp.  The  old  game  with  the  horses  had 
to  be  gone  through  again.  We  made  our  way  straight  down  the 
strip  of  tableland  towards  the  lake,  along  the  high  sliding  cliffs  of 
the  river's  cahadon.      It  was  a  long  ride,  and  as  we  went  along  the 


THE  GORGE  OF  THE  RIVER  DE  LOS  ANTIGUOS    149 

fact  became  obvious  that  the  river  had  risen  during  the  night  and 
was  still  rising.  The  waters  had  grown  earth-coloured  and  large 
trees  were  being  hurtled  down-stream. 

The  warm  weather  which  we  had  been  experiencing  must  have 
melted  the  snows  which  feed  the  torrents  of  the  Cordillera. 
Rivers  inside  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Cordillera  vary 
during  the  spring  very  much  in  volume,  changing  in  a  single  dav 
or  night  from  a  mere  trickle  of  water  to  a  torrent  100  yards 
in  width.  In  the  present  instance  the  River  de  los  Antiguos 
had  begun  to  rise  in  the  day  while  we  were  hunting.  At  length  we 
saw  a  place  where  a  big  shelf  of  stone  and  shingle  rising  in  the 
middle  of  the  river  divided  it  into  two  streams.  To  reach  the  bank 
nearest  to  this  island  of  shingle  it  was  necessary  to  climb  down 
some  two  hundred  feet  of  an  uncommonly  nasty  slope.  On  the 
way  the  horses  struck  a  bed  of  rolling  stones  and  arrived  very 
suddenly.  The  gut  of  the  Gorge  was  choked  with  green  forest 
and  decaying  vegetation  ;  large  dead  trees,  mostly  trunks  of 
antarctic  beech,  were  jammed  together,  intersected  by  a  dozen 
miniature  torrents  all  sluicinor  down  full  of  water  since  the  melting" 
of  the  snows. 

Arrived  at  the  river,  my  horse  took  the  ford  at  once  and  went 
in  straightly  to  his  shoulders.  The  current  was  running  like  a 
mill-race — overstrong  for  us,  but  fortunately  we  had  not  plunged 
in  too  deeply,  and  so  got  back  to  the  shore. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  two  smokes,  which  we  had  arranged 
were  not  to  be  used  save  in  the  greatest  extremity,  I  should  have 
made  a  camp  and  waited  to  see  if  the  rivc^  would  fall.  As  things 
were,  it  seemed  absolutely  necessary  to  cross  at  once. 

We  now  went  a  little  up-stream,  and  I  stripped  off  some  oi  my 
clothes  and  waded  down  into  the  river.  It  was  so  cold  thai  it 
took  away  all  feeling  from  my  feet.  I  had  my  precious  ritle  with 
me  as  well  as  a  dear  old  shot-gun.  The  strip  of  water  I  was  about 
to  cross  was  quite  narrow.  I  thought  of  leaving  the  guns  behind 
me,  but  that  would  have  meant  another  crossing  of  the  river,  which 
was  so  cold  that  it  seemed  to  burn  Hkc  tire. 

I  had  not  reached  the  middle  when  my  kit.  Inoi  wciii  inio  a 
hole,   the  current  caught  me,  and   the   banks    began  tt)    run   back- 


I50         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

wards.  As  long  as  the  water  was  deep  I  stuck  to  the  two  guns, 
but  a  Httle  down-stream  the  river  ran  through  boulders  just 
awash,  and  among  these  I  got  rather  knocked  about.  I  dropped 
the  shot-"un  and  cluno"  to  the  Mauser,  which  was  to  us  the  more 
valuable  of  the  two.  Lower  down  the  river  was  a  shallow  water- 
fall, studded  with  rocks  and  boulders.  My  knee  caught  between 
two  rocks,  and  as  I  was  afraid  of  having  my  leg  broken,  and  had 
sustained  rather  a  bad  knock  on  the  back  of  the  head,  I  let  the 
rifle  go,  and,  with  the  help  of  my  hands,  got  clear.  I  was  washed 
down  the  fall  into  deeper  water,  where  swimming  was  possible. 
The  current  carried  me  a  yard  clown-stream  for  every  inch  I  made 
across  it,  but  in  time  I  reached  the  end  of  the  bank  of  shingle 
before  mentioned. 

After  all,  disappointment  awaited  me,  for  I  found  the  second 
branch  of  the  river,  beyond  the  shingle  bank,  was  running  so 
furiously  that,  unless  I  had  the  help  of  a  rope,  crossing  it  would  be 
too  dangerous.  Barckhausen  could  not  follow  me  in  any  case,  as 
he  was  unable  to  swim,  so  that  eventually  I  was  obliged  to  cross 
back  again  and  rejoin  him.  On  regaining  the  shore  my  plight 
was  sufficiently  miserable.  I  had  kept  on  my  shirt  and  jersey  to 
save  me  from  the  stones,  but  of  course  they  were  soaking.  It  was 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  sun  had  lost  its  power,  a  cold  wind 
was  blowing,  and  I  had  nothing  to  pass  the  night  in  save  some  oil- 
skins and  my  wet  clothes  ;  besides,  I  was  rather  badly  cut  about 
the  head  and  knees. 

I  must  explain  that  during  my  swim  Barckhausen  had 
succeeded  in  driving  the  horses  into  the  river,  and  they  were 
come  to  anchor  on  the  shingle  island  in  mid-stream.  Our  bedding 
was  upon  the  back  of  one  of  them,  and  the  river  was  still  rising 
rapidly.  We  therefore  decided  to  return  to  the  camp,  as  being 
more  sheltered.  Barckhausen  kindlv  lent  me  his  shirt,  as  he 
had  his  vest,  coat  and  great-coat,  which  were  dry.  We  started 
once  more  to  climb  that  weary  two  hundred  feet  of  barranca,  and 
were  much  beset  by  rolling  stones  and  sliding  sand.  Scarcely  had 
we  reached  the  top  when  the  horses,  after  standing  for  an  hour 
and  a  half  on  their  mid-stream  island,  took  it  into  their  heads 
to  turn  about  and  swim  back,  so  we  scrambled  down  our  cliff-side 


y. 


a 


v. 


THE  GORGE  OF  THE  RIVER  DE  LOS  ANTIGUOS    151 

again  and  made  a  camp  amongst  the  sand  and  bushes.  Here  I 
saw  a  wild  cat  with  young,  the  only  one  I  met  with  in  Pata- 
2fonia. 

We  now  reviewed  our  sleeping  accommodation.  The  blankets 
were  too  wet  to  be  of  any  service.  Barckhausen  luckily  was  in 
the  habit  of  carrying  a  portion  of  his  bedding  upon  his  saddle,  and 
this  had  escaped  the  water  and  was  dry.  I  had  a  horse-rug  and 
a  small  blanket.  It  came  on  a  bone-wet  night,  the  most  miserable 
we  had  either  of  us  spent. 

Besides,  I  was  very  anxious  about  the  possible  condition  of 
things  at  Horsham  Camp,  for  the  two  smokes  must  have  meant 
something  serious,  and  yet  we  were  unable  to  go  to  the  help 
of  our  comrades.  We  maide  some  thin  porridge  for  supper  and 
turned  in.  All  night  long  the  river  continued  to  rise,  we  could  hear 
it  gulping  and  swallowing  at  the  sand  and  shingle  of  the  bank.  I 
determined  to  try  the  higher  ford,  by  which  we  had  originally 
crossed,  in  the  morning. 

1  find  the  following  in  my  diary,  written  while  the  porridge  was 
cooking  : 

''December  1 2. — Only  asportsman  can  realise  my  feelings.  At  one 
fell  swoop  both  my  guns,  my  old  friends,  gone  !  The  more  serious 
loss  of  the  two  is  the  Mauser.  It  has  accompanied  me  upon  my 
travels  10,000  miles,  and  was  always  to  be  relied  on.  And  now 
to  fancy  it  probably  glimmering  up  through  the  deep  waters  of 
Buenos  Aires  Lake!  Is  there  any  use  in  saying  more  .^  When 
we  get  back  to  camp  I  shall  have  to  fall  back  on  the  reserve 
Mauser,  which  has  no  back-sight,  or  I  should  say  has  a  back- 
sight fastened  on  with  a  strip  of  raw  hide.  You  arrange  it  before 
the  shot,  and  when  you  have  it  balanced  you  loose  off,  and  it  the 
gun  does  not  misfire  you  may  hit  something.  How  different  to 
the  rifie  that  is  gone!  And  the  shot-gun,  which  has  also  departed 
with  the  Mauser,  was  a  gun  with  a  history.  Given  to  my  uncle 
for  gallant  services  in  another  part  of  the  world — a  Purde\- double- 
hammerless  12-bore,  I  regarded  it  as  an  heirloom.  Win-  did  I 
ever  brinir  it  to  Patagonia?  Manv  a  lime  have  I.  (uii  d  the 
shooting  season,  cuddled  the  stock  and  shot  imaginary  birds,  and 
dreamed  of  the  phalanx  of  geese  bearing  down  on  me  in  Scotland 


152         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

in  the  comino-  October!  It  is  all  over.  His  oHtterino-  locks 
"  clutch  the  sand,"  or  in  fraiiments  he  shifts  with  the  waters  of  the 
inhospitable  torrent.  Oh,  my  guns !  my  guns  !  Well,  it  was  a 
congenial  death  to  you,  and  I  am  glad  to  think  the  Mauser  had 
killed  a  couple  of  Patagonian  huemules  before  he  came  to  his  end. 
But,  sentiment  apart — and  there  is  a  great  deal  of  it  in  this  affair 
— the  loss  is  very  serious.  True  I  have  still  at  Horsham  Camp 
four  rifles  and  a  shot-gun  (two  Colts,  a  Parado.x,  a  12-bore  and  the 
sick  Mauser),  but  none  of  them  are  in  the  same  class  with  the 
lost  ones." 

Before  leaving  the  camp  I  went  down  again  to  the  river  brink 
to  seek  for  wreckage.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen  save  rock  and 
stone,  overturned  trees  and  boulders.  My  regrets  for  the  losses 
which  had  befallen  us  were,  however,  moderated  by  the  reflection 
that  I  might  well  be  thankful  I  w^as  not  personally  keeping  the  two 
guns  cold  company  in  the  bottom  of  the  lake. 

We  were  astir  at  four  o'clock  by  moonlight,  and  started  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  later.  To  us,  knocked  about  and  dog-tired  as 
we  were,  the  going  was  difficult.  The  barrancas  seemed  endless. 
The  river  was  now  a  yellow  flood,  crashing  and  rushing  down  the 
cafiadon,  bearing  trees,  bushes,  and  logs  with  its  whirl  and  flurry. 
When  we  arrived  at  the  upper  ford  it  was  only  to  find  six  feet 
of  water  there  and  a  fall  formed  beyond  it — quite  impassable 
in   fact. 

Our  position,  in  the  face  of  this  difficulty,  was  rather  a  serious 
one.  We  had  food  for  three  days,  that  is,  porridge,  and  though 
"  parritch  is  gran'  food,"  it  is  not,  alone,  good  to  work  very  hard 
on.  The  snows  were  still  melting  in  the  hills,  and,  given  a  pro- 
tracted period  of  warm  weather,  it  might  be  days  before  the 
river  would  allow  of  our  passing  through  it.  I  lit  a  signal-fire 
on  the  hills  in  the  hope  that  my  party  at  Horsham  Camp  would 
reply. 

It  was  possible  that  our  small  Argentine  friend  had  again  been 
lost  "  running  ostriches  "  and  had  again  lit  up  half  the  countryside 
to  call  his  companions'  attention  to  that  important  fact.  The  only 
weapon  left  us  was  a  broken  Colt  and  the  cartridges  in  it.  But 
apart  from  our  own  position  was  the  far  more  serious  fact  that 


i 


■^ 


THE  GORGE  OF  THE  RIVER  DE  LOS  ANTIGUOS    153 

our  companions  were  signalling  to  us  to  'Come  at  once — -some- 
thing wrong," 

All  the  day  through  we  patrolled  the  river  banks,  riding  up  and 
down  searching  for  a  ford.  About  six  in  the  evening  we  found  a 
place  where  an  island  broke  the  force  of  the  torrent,  and  we  fancied 
the  water  was  falling. 

The  river  everywhere  was  shut  in  by  high  cliffs.  At  the  foot 
ot  the  cliff  we  descended  the  si^round  was  so  soft  that  the  horses 
sank,  and  we  had  to  haul  them  through.  When  we  came  down  to 
the  level  of  the  river,  it  appeared  very  different,  viewed  close  at 
hand,  to  the  encouraging  idea  we  had  formed,  even  through  the 
telescope,  from  the  cliffs  above.  But  the  set  of  the  current  was 
for  once  towards  the  farther  bank,  where  it  culminated  in  rapids. 

I  decided  to  leave  the  three  worst  horses,  and  we  found  them 
a  fine  stretch  of  grass  and  water  at  Roble  Camp.  There  we  left 
them.  They  fell  to  feeding  very  quietly,  and  we  rode  away  to  the 
barranca  we  had  so  often  surmounted  that  at  length  we  had  formed 
a  road  throucrh  its  bushes. 

The  river  appeared  to  be  still  rising,  and  was  at  that  spot  sixty 
yards  or  so  broad.  Large  trees  went  whirling  by  us  as  we  waded 
down  on  our  horses  into  the  outer  plash  of  the  stream.  The  horses 
took  it  bravely  and  slowly,  tired  as  they  were.  We  now  found 
there  were  two  islands,  a  smaller  and  a  larger  one,  on  our  line  of 
crossing,  upon  which  we  rested,  and  soon  nothing  remained  save 
a  twenty-foot  stream  between  us  and  the  farther  bank. 

Once  my  horse  fell  but  recovered  himself  Small  blame  to 
him,  brave  beast,  he  had  been  carrying  fourteen  stone  all  day.  At 
last,  after  a  strenuous  moment,  the  water  grew  shallower,  and  we 
came  out  on  the  farther  side  into  a  belt  of  green  scrub. 

Luck  never  comes  alone.  As  we  rode  on  three  huemules 
dashed  out  of  a  o-lade  and  I  broke  the  neck  of  an  old  buck  with 
the  damaged  Colt.  I  had  taken  a  careful  sight  for  a  shoulder-sh(.)t ! 
We  cut  up  the  huemul,  skinned  the  head  and  rode  on,  and  soon 
were  out  of  the  canadon  of  the  de  los  Antiguos  River  and  riding 
through  the  bushes  towards  our  companions.  The  moon,  on  her 
rising,  found  us  still  going,  and  the  camp  we  made  was  a  dozen 
miles  from  the  river. 


154         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


GRASSY   CAMP 


That  night  we  put  the  horses  in  splendid  grass,  and  in  the 
ialse  dawn  of  the  next  mornino-  were  in  the  saddle  aeain.  We 
had  about  fifty  miles  to  cover  before  reaching  Horsham  Camp,  and 
never  in  my  life  have  I  so  regretted  my  weight  as  on  that  day. 
About  noon,  as  we  were  crossing  a  white  dry  lake-bed,  a  column  of 

smoke  went  up  on  Fenix 
Ford  ;  our  comrades  were 
then  hurrying-  to  us  as  we 
were  to  them.  We  an- 
swered at  once,  and  a 
couple  of  hours  later  per- 
ceived two  horsemen  on 
a  distant  rise.  Two  !^ 
Nothing  wrong  in  camp 
then!  Hurrah!  They 
turned  out  to  be  Scrivenor 
and  Burbury. 

At  last  the  vega,  two  miles  out  of  Horsham  Camp,  began.  I 
had  ridden  so  much  off  my  horse  that  the  cinch  would  not  hold 
him.  An  awful  wind  arose  and  the  country  round— burned  by 
those  miserable  Santa  Cruz  people — sent  up  dust  in  clouds  and 
blinded  us.  At  last  the  green  tents  came  in  sight,  one  of  which 
held,  I  knew,  a  reindeer  sleeping-bag,  wherein  was  to  be  found 
warmth  and  sleep. 

When  we  met  my  first  question  was,  of  course,  to  ask  as  to 
who  might  be  the  perpetrator  of  the  two  fires  we  had  seen  upon 
the  previous  day,  and  which  were  still  burning. 

"  As  to  those,"  said  Burbury,  "  they  must  have  been  lighted  by 
the  little  man  whom  you  entertained  at  the  Fenix.  He  came  into- 
our  camp  after  he  left  you,  as  also  did  his  companions.  We  knew 
that  you  would  wonder  who  had  lit  the  smokes.  When  we  saw 
yours,  we  at  once  came  to  meet  you."  As  we  rode  along  towards 
our  base  camp  we  passed  through  acres  of  fire-blackened  land  and 
cursed  the  small  man  (his  name  is  still  a  mystery  to  us)  by  bell, 
book,  and  candle.  1  had  carefully  informed  him  that  two  fires  was 
our  "  Come-at-once  "  signal,  and  can  only  suppose  that  the  irre- 
sponsible little  creature  had  forgotten.     After  all,  our  resentment 


THE  GORGE  OF  THE  RIVER  DE  LOS  ANTIGUOS    155 

against  the  author  of  our  misfortunes  was  not  uncalled  for.  He 
had  given  Scrivenor  a  fifty-mile  ride,  had  been  the  direct  cause  of 
our  losinof  two  oruns,  had  made  us  abandon  three  horses,  and  had 
given  Barckhausen  and  myself  eighty  or  ninety  miles  of  extra 
marches,  besides  compelling  us  to  cross  the  River  de  los  Antiguos 
when  in  flood.  We  had  also  to  thank  him  for  our  miserable  night 
upon  the  shores  of  the  river.  Against  all  this  he  had  left  us  a  lame 
hound  which  we  feared  could  travel  no  farther. 

His  companions  had  in  my  absence  visited  our  camp  and  had 
conversed  with  Burbury.  This  conversation,  however,  left  us  a 
much  more  valuable  legacy.  One  of  these  men,  an  Austrian,  had 
informed  Burbury  that  the  Indians  had  told  him  of  a  puma  which 
lived  farther  to  the  south  amono-  the  foothills  of  the  Cordillera, 
and  which  differed  in  some  essential  respects  from  the  grey  puma 
of  the  plains.  He  described  it  as  being  "  of  a  reddish  colour,  more 
fierce  than  the  silver  puma,  and  much  smaller !  "  This  was  the 
first  time  I  heard  of  the  animal  now  named  Fclis  concolor pcarsoni, 
of  which  I  afterwards  was  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  a  skin. 

When  we  arrived  in  camp,  which  we  did  late  upon  that  afternoon, 
we  ourselves  as  well  as  our  horses  were  pretty  well  tired  out,  but 
a  couple  of  days  in  the  tent,  a  tin  of  cocoa,  and  some  ointment  for 
the  cuts  received  from  the  rocks  in  the  river,  soon  reinvigorated 
us,  and  we  were  ready  to  start  for  the  River  de  los  Antiguos.  the 
scene  of  our  petty  disasters,  once  more. 


YOUNG   GUANACO 


CHAPTER   XI 

SOME    HUNTING    CAMPS 

Second  trip  to  De  los  Antiguos  River — Pass  Rosy  Camp — Fenix  flood  gone 
down — Wounded  guanaco  takes  to  water — Mauser  and  shot-gun  retrieved — 
Losing  and  seeking  in  Patagonia — Recover  horses  at  Rest-and-be-Thankful 
Camp — Visit  to  River  Jeinemeni — Trained  horse  for  hunting — Shooting 
guanaco — Condors — Cahadon  of  Jeinemeni — Huemul  hunting — Ostriches  and 
their  habits — Return  to  Horsham  Camp — Night  in  camp. 

On  December  i6,  the  Interval  having  been  taken  out  by  me  in 
sleeping  off  my  chill  and  fatigue,  Scrlvenor,  Jones  and  I  made  a 
start  to  retrieve  the  horses  abandoned  in  the  Los  Antiofuos 
cahadon  by  Barckhausen  and  myself.  We  each  took  a  horse  and 
a  spare  animal  which  carried  the  tent,  for  the  weather  was  breaking 
to  the  westward.  It  was  our  intention  to  ride  the  fifty  miles' back 
on  the  horses  which  we  had  left  behind  in  the  Gorgre. 

On  arriving  at  the  Fenix  we  were  delighted  to  find  that  Its 
waters  had  fallen  considerably,  and  that  the  pebbly  bank  In  mid- 
stream, at  the  ford  by  Rosy  Camp,  was  once  more  visible.  Almost 
upon  our  old  camping-ground  we  found,  as  we  rode  over  the  sand- 
hills by  the  lake,  a  pair  of  guanaco  feeding.  Jones  dismounted 
and  had  a  couple  of  shots,  neither  of  which  took  effect.  The 
animals  had,  however,  not  perceived  Scrlvenor  and  myself,  and 
came  past  us  upon  the  shores  of  the  lake,  and  here  Jones  and  I 
ran  down  and  met  the  female,  killing  her  after  a  long  chase,  which 
ended  by  her  trying  to  swim  out  Into  the  lake. 

Upon   the   evening   of  the   second  day  we  saw  again  the  ill" 


SOME  HUNTING  CAMPS  157 

fated  River  de  los  Antiguos,  and  striking  south  we  made  a  camp 
as  nearly  as  I  could  judge,  opposite  to  where  I  had  spent  thenio-ht 
shivering  in  oilskins.      Of  course,  at  starting,  the  question  had  been 
mooted  :   Might  we  not,  provided   the  river  had  fallen  sufficiently, 
find  the  lost  guns,  and  at  any  rate  that  treasure,  the  Mauser  ? 

The  probabilities  were,  of  course,  very  much  against  such  good 
fortune,  and  it  was  almost  certain,  that  even  did  we  find  either  of 
them,  it  would  be  useless  after  being  knocked  about  by  the  violent 
handling  of  the  river. 

Immediately  we  arrived  at  the  Gorge  of  the  de  los  Antiguos, 
Jones  and  I  rode  down  to  the  water's  edge.  I  had  small  hope  of 
success  as  regarded  retrieving  the  guns,  but  the  water  had  fallen 
as  quickly  as  it  had  risen.  We  soon  came  upon  my  tracks  going- 
down  to  the  stream,  made  during  my  last  visit.  \\"c  then  rode 
along  the  bank.  Trees,  sand  and  ddbris  filled  the  river-bed, 
and  I  had  reached  a  spot  some  hundred  yards  below  the  place 
where  I  had  been  beached  on  the  shingle  island,  and  Jones  was 
still  engaged  in  searching-  another  channel,  when  I  saw  something 

<J        'Zj  i^j  O 

brown  upon  a  sandbank. 

There,  half  in  and  half  out  of  the  water,  lay  the  Mauser,  caked 
with  rust,  choked  with  sand  and  pebbles,  but  whole,  unbent, 
though  the  stock  was  pitted  with  the  battering  of  many  stones. 
I  picked  it  up,  and  there  seemed  but  little  hope  of  its  ever  becom- 
ing serviceable  again.  However,  the  sights,  by  a  m.iracle,  were 
intact,  save  the  half  of  the  bead  of  the  foresight.  After  this  we 
resumed  our  search,  hoping  with  luck  to  come  upon  the  shot-gun, 
and  presently  we  discovered  that  also,  lying  half-buried  among 
the  wreckage  at  the  lip  of  the  flood.  Being  in  a  case,  it  was 
practically  undamaged.  We  carried  the  two  in  triumph  to  the 
camp.  Upon  examination  the  Mauser  bolt  was  found  to  be  fixed 
and  immovable,  and  we  feared  it  would  never  fire  again.  I'dt 
tools  we  had  only  an  axe  and  a  weak  pocket-knife,  but  w  ith  the 
help  of  these  two  we  took  the  Mauser  to  pieces,  cleaned  it,  ami 
fixed  it  together  again,  to  find,  however,  that  it  would  not  stay  on 
cock.  As  soon  as  we  shut  the  bolt,  the  ritle  went  off.  We  ex- 
amined it,  but  could  discover  nothing  broken  or  bent,  and,  n:L;lu 
fallincr,  we  went  to  bed. 


158         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

I  was  awakened  by  Jones  with  the  welcome  news  that  breakfast 
was  ready,  and  that  he  had  got  up  early  and  been  at  work  upon 
the  Mauser,  which  he  said  had  haunted  his  dreams.  It  was,  he 
declared,  as  good  as  ever,  and  this  proved  to  be  the  case.  The 
trio-oer  had  been  slightly  bent,  and  a  small  stone  lodged  in  the 
mechanism  had  been  overlooked  in  the  bad  light  of  the  previous 
evenino-.     Altogether  the  affair  stands  out  as  one  gigantic  piece 

of  luck. 

It  was  not  now  at  all  a  presentable  weapon.  It  was,  indeed,  an 
object  any  gunmaker  would  have  shied  at,  but  it  started  business 
ao-ain  by  taking  a  particular  stone  out  of  the  neighbouring  cliff 
with  all  its  old  accuracy.  To  celebrate  the  event  we  made  a  plum 
duff  of  tiour,  which  we  ate  with  a  tin  of  Swiss  milk.  After- 
wards we  made  quite  a  bag  of  pigeons  {Columba  7uactdosa),  which 
frequented  the  scrub  of  the  river  in  great  numbers. 

Patagonia  is  a  land  so  far  from  shops  that  one  must  not  lose 
anything,  and  if  you  do  lose  anything,  it  is  strange  how  persistent 
one  becomes  in  looking  for  it.  Scrivenor  once  rode  twenty-five 
miles  for  a  pipe  ;  I  have  spent  half  a  weary  day  following  my  old 
tracks  for  a  similar  purpose.  I  think  the  only  article  lost  upon 
the  expedition,  and  left  lost,  was  Barkers  large  knife,  and  we 
had  ridden  fifty  miles  the  day  he  dropped  it.  Jones  lost  a 
pair  of  pipes  one  day  galloping,  and  after  four  days  searching — 
at  odd  times — found  them  both  again  !  Burbury  lost  a  knife  at 
the   Fenix    River — but   I    might  go  on  multiplying  instances   for 

ever. 

Well,  now  that  we  had  found  the  guns,  remained  the  horses, 
and  after  these  we  started  next  morning,  moving  our  small  camp 
up  to  where  they  had  been  abandoned. 

I  remember  that  dav,  for  I  was  ridino-  the  rouohest  horse  in 
all  our  troop,  a  stout  little  Zaino,  which  shook  and  vibrated  like  a 
miniature  torpedo-boat.  At  length  we  came  to  the  high  barranca 
above  the  river,  down  which  iVlula  had  fallen  and  nearly  immolated 
poor  Barckhausen.  We  human  beings  toboganned  down — the 
measured  angle  being  38° — and  the  horses  slid  down  upon  their 
haunches.  Part  of  the  cliff  accompanied  us  in  our  descent.  Then 
followed   that    nasty  boulder-strewn   piece   of  journeying    I    have 


,*«- 


^ 


/. 


'•J 


\ 


SOME  HUNTING  CAMPS  159 

before  described,  until  at  length  we  crossed  the  river  and  rode  in 
among  the  trees  towards  Rest-and-be-thankful  Camp. 

That  was  one  of  the  most  picturesque  camps  which  fell  to  our 
lot  in  Patagonia.  The  grass  there,  though  coarse,  was  very  good  ; 
deep  green  scrub  and  incensio  bushes  bounded  it  on  three  sides, 
the  barranca  leading  up  to  the  tableland  being  on  the  fourth. 
As  we  were  riding  through  the  trees  we  discovered  the  three 
horses,  led  by  Fritz  the  Zaino,  descending  the  barrancas  to  water. 
Truly  our  snakes  were  standing  upright,  as  the  Zulus  say.  Of 
course,  immediately  the  horses  under  General  Fritz  perceived  us, 
they  stood  still.  Before  that  they  were  coming  down  the  steep 
side  of  the  cliff  with  the  o-race  and  swinor  of  wild  thinors,  now  thev 
at  once  pretended  that  it  was  a  very  difficuk  business.  We  caught 
them,  and  found  them  to  be  in  excellent  condition,  glossy,  bright- 
eyed  and  fat.  We  at  once  put  them  upon  sogas,  lest  their  love  of 
liberty  might  have  been  increased  by  the  week-end  they  had  spent 
alone.  They  were  evidently  in  the  habit  of  drinking  each  evening 
and  feedino-  in  the  rich  orrass  of  the  Gorgre,  and  in  the  mornine 
ascending  to  the  tableland  and  enjoying  themselves  there. 

After  settling  the  camp,  Jones  and  I  saddled  up  Luna  and 
General  Fritz  and  went  up  to  look  for  a  guanaco.  We  found  that 
the  fire  lit  by  Barckhausen  and  myself  had  burned  over  a  largish 
area  and  driven  the  game  backwards  into  the  higher  basaltic 
hills.  Among  these,  and  upon  the  western  river,  the  Jeinemeni. 
we  had  a  most  lovely  evening.  Fresh  horses,  keen  air.  a  soft 
wind  out  of  the  west,  and  the  most  glorious  of  views — the  lake, 
placid  for  once,  in  its  gigantic  setting  of  peaked  and  pinnacled 
Cordillera,  the  tint  of  yellow  marshes  in  the  lowland,  and  the  whole 
background  of  the  picture  painted  with  mist  and  distance  in  a 
dozen  shades  of  dusky  and  far-off  blue. 

In  the  course  of  that  clav's  wanderinos  we  first  reached  the 
Jeinemeni,  the  more  westerly  river,  which  shut  in  the  farther  side 
of  the  tableland.  The  ravine  through  which  it  flowed  down  to  the 
lake  was  magnificent,  a  wonderful  vista  of  broken  white  cliffs. 
The  conformation  of  its  canadon  was  very  different  to  that  of  the 
de  los  Antiguos.  Seen  from  a  distance  the  \-alk'v  appearetl 
almost  treeless,  and  upon  its  west  bank  rose  the  lower  hills  of  the 


i6o         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Cordillera  Into  needles  and  peaks  of  red  rock  and  virgin  snow.  The 
plateau  between  the  rivers  we  found  to  be  an  excellent  game 
country.  Upon  a  fast  horse  the  ground  was  good  enough,  though 
rather  too  broken  to  admit  of  "  running"  young  guanaco,  one  of 
the  finest  and  most  exhilarating  pastimes  that  I  have  ever  enjoyed. 

There  is  an  element  in  Patagonian  hunting  quite  unique  :  so 
much  depends  upon  your  horse.  There  were  but  two  in  all  our 
forty-seven  which  could  be  trusted  to  stand  and  not  gallop  off 
when  we  fired.  These  two  I  trained  myself  on  the  way  up  from 
Trelew  to  Colohuapi,  and  they  were  a  great  ease  and  comfort  to 
me.  But  to  go  shooting  on  a  wild  horse,  then  probably  to  find 
your  game  in  a  bushless  country,  where  you  are  quite  unable  to 
shoot  because  you  cannot  tie  up  your  mount,  is  a  most  disappointing- 
affair.  Also  you  have  on  many  occasions  to  gallop  down  your 
game — -if  you  hit  it  a  little  too  far  back,  for  instance.  Wearier  work 
than  chasing  a  wounded  guanaco  afoot  over  the  bald  and  endless 
ridges  of  the  pampas,  or  up  and  down  the  steep  unstable  slides  of  a 
bar7^anca,  I  do  not  know. 

With  my  trained  horse  the  Cruzado,  and  the  Little  Zaino,  all 
that  was  necessary  was  just  to  drop  to  the  ground — you  could  rein 
up  in  the  middle  of  a  fast  canter  and  slip  off — the  horse  would  stand 
where  you  left  him  until  you  came  for  him  again.  There  were 
others,  of  course,  who,  if  you  loosed  the  cab^'esto,  were  off  to  camp 
at  a  gallop,  and  where  quickness  is  so  important,  they  made  sport 
a  little  of  a  penance. 

But  to  return  to  our  first  visit  to  the  Jeinemeni.  In  the  cahadoii 
we  came  upon  a  guanaco,  and  I  stalked  him.  The  bullet  took 
effect,  and  the  poor  beast  plunged  into  the  abyss  below.  W^e 
followed  him  down  a  few  hundred  feet,  but  finding  the  way  beset 
with  loose  stones,  and,  consequently,  on  the  raw  bare  cliff,  rather 
dangerous,  we  returned  with  much  toil  to  our  horses.  It  had  taken 
us  one  and  three-quarter  hours  to  climb  five  hundred  feet. 

"  Any  horse,  even  that  old  P'ritz,  is  better  than  a  man's  own 
legs,"  said  Jones  feelingly.  Arrived  in  time — the  fulness  of  time 
— at  the  top  of  the  cliff,  we  sat  down  and  rested.  As  we  were 
doing  so  Jones  perceived  a  cloud  of  dust  uprising  in  the  valley 
and  drew  my  attention  to  it.     It  was  coming  towards  us,  but  we  were 


J 


X 


V 

s 


vS 


a* 


SOME  HUNTING  CAMPS  i6i 

quite  unable  at  that  distance  to  make  out  the  cause  of  it.  We 
marked  the  place  and  I  took  a  couple  of  bearinf^s,  and  in  the  earlv 
dark  we  rode  back  into  camp. 

The  next  morning  we  sogaed  up  the  horses  and  set  out. 

W^e  wanted  some  meat,  having  only  a  little  left  of  the  last 
guanaco.  We  saw  a  number  of  guanacos  on  the  hills  and  one 
half-grown  one,  which  we  attempted  to  gallop,  but  had  to  desist,  as 
the  ground  was  too  false  for  the  horses,  and  the  basalt  rocks  and 
hills  told  in  the  guanaco 's  favour.  At  length,  quite  near  the  spot 
wiiere  I  had  shot  one  on  the  previous  evening,  we  found  a  big  old 
buck  standing  alone,  and  we  speedily  made  a  plan  of  campaign.  1 
rode  round  and  hid  in  the  rocks  far  above  him.  Scrivenor  tried 
stalking  him  and  Jones  headed  him  off  from  the  north. 

He  went  towards  Jones,  who  sent  a  bullet  through  his  heart  at 
<4"Ood  ranofe. 

Immediately  on  our  killing,  the  condors,  caranchos,  and  chi- 
mangos  began  to  gather  and  almost  to  drop  upon  the  meat  in  our 
presence.  I  have  before  remarked  on  the  number  of  these  uncanny 
birds  which  haunted  the  Gorge.  They  were  huo-e,  black,  rago-ed. 
bald,  wrinkled,  and  offensive  in  odour,  incarnations  of  lust  and  evil. 
71ie  horrible  flesh-colour  of  the  bare  skin  on  head  and  neck  was 
glassy  and  livid.  And  how  wonderful  was  their  instinct  !  You 
shot  your  game,  and  within  a  few  minutes  a  condor  appeared  far 
away  in  the  heavens  ;  then  another  and  another !  Perhaps  they 
had  some  sii^^nal  bidding  to  the  feast. 

Having  cut  up  the  guanaco,  we  descended  into  the  cauado7i 
of  the  Jeinemeni,  where  we  had  on  the  previous  evening  seen  the 
rising  dust — which  meant  the  movement  of  living  things.  At  first 
it  was  one  of  the  nastiest  of  horseback  climbs,  all  loose  stones,  and 
sand  and  sandstone  chippings.  The  gorge  below  us  was  a  chess- 
hoard  of  small-looking  round  folds  set  in  the  bases  of  the  hightr 
liills  and  hummocks.  Amono- these  were  many  boulders,  with  two 
or  three  deep  black  waterholes,  eye-shaped  ;  and.  of  course,  there 
were  condors.  We  arrived  at  the  place  w  here  we  had  perceivetl 
the  cloud  of  dust.  A  large  herd  of  guanaco  had  passed  at  the 
gallop,  as  was  evident  from  the  tracks. 

We   rode   on   to    the   gorge   of  the  Jeinemeni    and   matle  our 

L 


1 62         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


-•s^9;::i;gfe 


Lfe#^l 


FIRST    HUKMLL    LAMP 


tSAiuiiA)'! 


camp  by  a  little  pool.  Here  we  had  a  ;;m^^  by  the  tire  and  gave 
our  horses  grass.  Then  came  our  climb  up  the  ragged  cliffs  by 
which  we  had  descended.  They  were  very  high,  rising  fold  on 
fold,  set  as  always  with  loose  stones  and  shifting  sand,  a  needle 

or  two  of  black  rock  stick- 
ing out  o-auntlv  from  their 
steep  faces. 

The    next    day   Jones 

and  I  went  hunting.      We 

desired    to    secure    a    tew 

heads    and    skins    of    the 

huemul  and  we  determined 

to  devote    a    day   to   that 

purpose.      I    will   describe 

that      excursion      at     full 

length,  as  it  was  one  typical 

of  Patagonian  sport. 

Of  course   we  rode.      You   ride  everywhere  in   Patagonia.      I 

rode  Luna,  and  Jones  one  of  the  Zainos — Fritz  the  younger,  a  very 

rough  horse. 

When  we  started  a  light  rain  was  falling  and  the  summits  of  the 
Cordillera  were  purple  with  threatening  cloud.  The  rain  gave  the 
mountain  wind  the  softness  which  \}i\& pampero  lacks.  W^e  quickly 
crossed  the  lower  hills  and  saw  some  guanacos  in  the  valleys. 
We  did  not  shoot  any  but  rode  on  upwards  until  we  came  to  the 
hi^rh  ground,  where  bushes  of  niatc^  negra  and  black  fragments  of 
basalt  made  a  desolate  picture  with  the  low  clouds  rolling  over  the 
wet  hills.  Presently  a  cloud  enveloped  us  and  w^e  took  shelter 
beneath  a  rock.  It  looked  as  if  we  were  in  for  a  wet  day,  but  to 
our  delight,  after  an  hour  of  waiting  the  wind  blew  away  the  clouds 
and  showed  the  pale  blue  sky  beyond,  the  weather  turned  colder 
and  set  in  tine.  We  jumped  on  our  horses  and  jogged  on  until 
the  hiifh  orround  was  reached.  Here  we  dismounted  and  spied  the 
country  wiih  the  telescope.  We  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
nothino-  was  in  si^ht  when,  movino^  a  little  hi-'her,  I  saw  an  ostrich 
in  a  marsh  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards  away.  The  bird  had 
not  perceived   us,  and  fortunately  the  ground   was  favourable  lor 


SOME  HUNTING  CAMPS  163 

stalking.  Under  cover  of  a  hummock,  we  advanced  to  within 
about  seventy  yards,  when  I  shot  the  bird.  As  always  happens, 
on  receiving  the  shot  it  ran  thirty  yards  forward  and  fell. 

During  the  whole  of  our  travels  we  observed  but  one  kind  of 
rhea  [R/iea  darwini).  The  remarks  that  Darwin  makes  concern- 
ing the  habits  of  this  bird  have  little  to  be  added  to  them.  The 
male  bird,  which  hatches  out  the  young,  will,  when  approached, 
feign  to  be  wounded  in  order  to  draw  off  the  intruder  from  the 
nest  of  the  chicks.  I  have  never  seen  more  than  nineteen  chicks 
with  a  single  ostrich  at  any  period  within  a  nionth  or  two  of  the 
hatchino-,  but  I  was  informed  bv  the  Gauchos  that  this  number 
is  not  an  outside  limit.  When  started,  Rhea  darwini  does  not 
usually  open  his  wings,  as  does  the  Rhea  americana.  This  fact 
has  been  noticed  bv  Darwin.  On  one  occasion,  shortlv  after 
leaving  Trelew,  we  chased  an  ostrich,  which,  having  run  a  couple 
of  hundred  yards,  opened  its  wings.  We  did  not,  however,  secure 
the  bird. 

Only  when  with  young  will  the  ostrich,  on  starting,  expand 
the  wings,  but,  as  I  have  said,  this  is  a  ruse  ;  yet  I  have  seen  them 
proceed  for  a  short  distance  with  wings  full  open  at  times  when 
hard  pressed.  In  the  present  instance  we  cut  up  our  ostrich, 
taking  the  stomach,  which,  cooked  as  an  asado,  or  roast,  is  esteemed 
a  luxury  by  the  Gauchos.  The  stomach  was  full  of  the  grass  of 
the  marsh.  Up  to  the  end  of  December  we  found  eggs.  When 
fresh  they  were  of  a  transparent  and  pale  green,  which  after  some 
days  merged  into  a  pallid  white. 

W^hile  we  were  yet  engaged  in  cutting  up  the  bird,  the  neck- 
skin  of  which  came  in  very  usefully  as  a  tobacco-pouch,  we  paused 
in  the  work  and  took  a  look  round  with  the  telescope.  On  the 
heights  above  us,  two  brown  objects  were  to  be  descried,  which 
on  examination  proved  to  be  huemules.  They  had  evidently 
seen  us,  and  their  curiosity  had  been  excited  by  our  movements. 
Hesitatingly  they  began  to  descend  the  hillside  towards  us.  We 
cut  some  antics  and  so  decoyed  the  unlucky  animals  within  range. 
After  killing  them,  we  took  the  skins  of  both,  as  there  is  no  examj")le 
of  this  deer  in  summer  coat  in  anv  of  our  Hritish  collections. 
They  were  still  shedding  their  wincer  coat. 


164         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

After  riding  on,  our  next  spy  showed  us  a  young  huemul  buck 
beneath  us,  but  as  I  had  already  secured  a  specimen  I  was  only 
too  glad  to  let  him  go  in  peace. 

I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot  give  my  readers  any  interesting  story 
of  huemul-shooting  ;  that  will  be  reserved  for  the  pen  of  some 
future  traveller,  who  will  find  the  animal  wild,  because  used  to  man 
and  his  ways.  As  for  our  experience  of  them,  the  interest  turns 
rather  on  their  confidingness  and  their  behaviour  towards  man  as 
an  unknown  entity. 

We  were  riding  home,  my  desire  to  shoot  huemul  completely 
evaporated,  when  we  perceived  among  the  basalt  fragments  above 
us  the  black  face  of  a  really  magnificent  buck.  In  approaching 
him  I  purposely  gave  him  the  wind.  He  had  not  seen  us,  but 
immediately  on  getting  our  wind  dashed  away  to  a  short  distance. 
On  my  showing  myself,  he  stood  quite  still,  snorted  twice  or  thrice, 
and  was  just  bounding  off  when  the  crack  of  the  Mauser  cut  short 
his  career. 

There  were  by  this  time  thirty  or  forty  condors  already 
gathered  upon  the  carcases  of  the  two  we  heid  previously  slain. 
Indeed  in  no  part  of  Patagonia  did  we  see  such  numbers  of 
Sa rcoj'/iauip/iMS  gryp/ms  3i?,  dixwong  these  hills.  I  understand  that 
there  is  in  Paris  a  considerable  demand  for  the  feathers  of  the 
condor.  Here  is  the  place  to  find  them.  On  our  homeward  way 
we  saw  two  huemul  does  and  a  pricket.  They  stayed  and 
stared  at  us  as  we  rode  down  the  lower  levels.  When  nearing 
camp  a  couple  of  guanacos  started  over  a  cliff  within  ten  yards  of 
us,  and  descended  the  sheer  hillside,  giving  me  an  excellent 
opportunity  of  observing  their  extraordinary  movements.  All  the 
huemules  we  had  shot  were  so  lean  as  to  be  practically  useless  for 
the  pot,  so  when  later  on  we  came  in  sight  of  a  herd  of  guanaco, 
and  Jones  asked  me  if  he  might  have  a  shot,  I  said  yes.  He 
picked  out  one  and  bowled  it  over  at  three  hundred  paces  with  my 
Mauser.  He  was  very  delighted  with  his  success,  and  said  that 
the  Mauser  was  better  than  any  of  the  guns  in  Chubut. 

On  the  day  after,  the  river,  upon  which  we  had  been  keeping  a 
very  careful  watch,  again  began  to  rise.  So  we  packed  up  and 
camped  that  night  in  the  end  of  the  cahadon  near  the  spot  where 


SOME  HUNTING  CAMPS 


.6j 


I    had   shot    my  first   huemul.      Although    we   hunted  during-  the 
afternoon  we  saw  nothing,  but  on  the  following  clay,  when  starting 


THE   OFF-SADDLE 

for  our  ride,  we  sighted  three  huemules,  two  does  and  a  young- 
buck,  in  the  scrub  of  a  stream  which  enters  the  lake  some  miles  to 
the  east  of  the  I\i\er  de  los  Antiguos.  In  the  evening  of  that 
day.  af  er  fording  the  River  Fcnix,  and  about  eight  miles  out  of 
Horsham  Camp,  a  huemul  buck  dashed  across  about  a  couple  of 
hundred  yards  ahead  of  us,  and  1,  taking  a  very  hasty  aim,  was 
fortunate  enouLrh  to  bring  him  to  the  ground.  We  hail  dithculty 
for  a  few  moments  in  finding  him,  as  he  had  gone  head  over  heels 
into  some  scrub  in  a  fissure  ot  the  hillside. 

During  this  hunting  trip,  which    1   have  described,  we  neither 
desired  nor  endeavoured  to  make  a  large  bag  ;   in  laci,  1  think  that 


1 66         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

one  conld  very  easily  over  that  ground  shoot  ten  huemules  and  an 
indefinite  number  of  guanaco  in  one  day,  but  such  a  proceeding 
would  be  little  short  of  a  crime.  Very  dift'erent  indeed  were 
my  experiences  after  wild  cattle,  which  I  followed  steadily  at  a 
later  date  of  the  expedition,  for  eleven  days  before  I  had  any 
chance  of  a  shot. 

Another  good  hour  of  the  day  during  our  expedition  was  that 
when,  pretty  tired,  one  rode  into  camp,  and  saw  the  little  green 
tent  pitched  among  the  tussocks,  the  horses  scattered  round,  the 
big  black  pot  upon  the  fire.  You  drank  your  inat(^,  smoked  a 
pipe  while  the  black  pot  boiled,  and  you  talked  over  the  day's 
doings.  And  so  on  until  dark  began  to  fall,  and  in  the  night  you 
could  hear  the  sounds  of  the  open,  the  rush  of  some  river,  the 
moaning  of  wind  across  the  plain  or  through  the  forests — when 
near  the  Cordillera — perhaps  the  cries  of  wildfowl,  or  the  whistle 
of  the  Chiloe  widofeon  as  the  shadows  closed  down.  Then  came 
preparations  for  the  morrow — the  beans  were  cut,  the  meat  put 
on,  the  fire  raked  up  about  to-morrow's  breakfast  ;  and  pre.-ently 
you  turned  in,  the  shadows  waxed  and  waned,  and  when  you  woke 
the  stars  were  paling  in  the  western  sky. 


JONES   SMOKES   THE    PIPE    OF    VICTORY 


CHAPTER   XII 

BACK    TO    CIVILISATION 

Christmas  Day  at  Horsham  Camp — Horse  races — Menu  of  dinner — Leave 
Horsham  Camp — Basalt  plateaus — Large  herds  of  guanacos — Sterile  region — 
Birth  of  filly — Father  of  guanacos — Search  for  Indian  trail — Pebble  hills — 
Finding  of  trail — Filly's  first  march — Hunting — Mirages  —  Rain — Tent  pleasures 
— River  Olin — Meeting  Mr.  Waag's  party — News  from  outer  world — River 
Chicc — Sierra  Ventana— Indian  ioldo — Shepherd's  hut— Houses,  sheep  ard 
cattle — Night  in  huts — Antennas  of  civilisation — La  Gaviota — Santa  Cruz. 

"  Horsham  Camp,  Christmas  Day,  1900. — Here  the  weather  is 
warm  ;  large,  soft  and  poisonous  flies  haunt  the  marsh  in  the 
camp.  The  horses  neigh.  An  ostrich,  the  greatest  deHcacy  of 
wild  game  in  Patagonia,  hangs  witli  three  legs  of  guanaco  on  the 
meat  gallows."     So  runs  my  diary. 

We  spent  a  very  humble  Christmas  up  there  at  Little  Horsham 
Camp,  and  made  what  mild  cheer  we  mit^ht.  In  the  morning  of 
Christmas  Day  we  had  horse  races,  a  mile  and  a  half-mile.  We 
rode  the  best  horses  in  our  respective  troops.  Barckhausen,  how- 
ever, rode  the  Azulejo,  which  he  decorated  with  a  towel  and  a  red 
handkerchief,  to  our  orreat  amusement.  W' e  were  almost  readv  for 
the  second  race  when  he  came  in  from  the  first,  ha\-ing  had  a 
difference  of  opinion  on  the  way  with  his  steed,  which  thought  it 
would  be  much  nicer  to  rejoin  his  friends  and  com{)ani()ns  ti  <  ding 
on  the  green  marsh  than  to  run  races. 

The  surprise  of  the  day  was  the  winning  (^f  the  races  by  the 
Little  Zaino,  as  we  christened  him.  He  was  \crv  timid  and  wild 
to  saddle  and  mount,  but  once  up  he  proved  himselt  a  treasure. 
In  appearance  he  was  a  comely  enough  little  horse,  plump  ami 
well  pickcul  up,  and  had  been  used  occasional!}-  lo  carr\-  a  cargo  on 
the  way  to  the  lake. 

The  dav  before  Christmas    I    wanted   to  go  for  a   loathe,  so    I 


1 68         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

caught  our  little  friend,  and,  liking-  his  pace,  let  him  stretch  himself 
a  little  on  the  way  back  over  the  edge  of  the  marsh.  He  stretched 
himself  to  such  good  purpose  that  he  was  ridden  in  the  next  day's 
races  and  won  the  three  events,  although  he  was  carrying  a  stone 
and  a  half  more  than  the  others!  Our  course  lay  through  a  belt 
of  thick  bushes,  but,  barring  these,  was  good  enough.  At  an\- 
rate,  it  turned  out  excellent  fun,  and  we  all  enjoyed  our  races. 

The  only  one  of  us  who  did  not  get  a  prize  was  riding  a  horse 
which  came  to  us  with  rather  a  bad  name,  and  which,  immediately 
the  others  started,  dashed  back  to  the  troop. 

During  the  afternoon  we  made  up  our  cargoes  ready  for  the 
morrow's  start,  after  our  Christmas  dinner,  of  which  I  print  the 
menu  : 

LAGO  BUENOS  AIRES,  igoo.     CHRISTMAS  DAY. 

At  5  o'clock  P.M. 

Notice. — Come  early  to  get  a  good  helping. 

Menu. 

Common  or  Garden  Duff  a  la  Azulejo.     Condiment  an  lait  Suisse. 

GRAND  DUFF  k  la  H.  Jones  avec  muscatelles. 

Bceuf. 

Ostrich  k  la  Patagonie. 
(If  you  want  it.) 

Gigot  de  Guanaco. 
(Order  beforehand.) 

Cocao  au  lait-| 

Tu '        ^  u.  r  Suisse. 
1  he  au  lait  j 

Vieux  Cognac  avec  vulcanite. 

Plug  Tobacco. 

God  Save  the  Queen. 

In  the  eveninor  after  dinner  we  induloed  in  some  shootirjo" 
matches — with  the  damaged  Colt — which  Barckhausen  won. 

On  December  26  we  bade  good-bye  to  Horsham  Camp.  After 
a  long  interval  the  cargiiei^os  were  once  more  loaded  up,  and  the 
whole  troop  tailed  away  to  the  eastward.  Is  any  sight  sadder 
than  a  deserted  camp  }  The  dead  or  dying  camp-fire,  the  broken 
remains  of  food  surprised  by  the  sun.  the  litter,  the  bare  rubbed 


V. 


I 


BACK  TO  CIVILISATION  169 

grass,  and  the  occasional  fox.  We  left  some  tins  of  corned  beef 
behind  us,  as  I  hoped  to  travel  very  fast  to  Santa  Cruz.  That  day 
we  made  anything  from  eight  to  ten  leagues,  and  camped  in  Seven 
Ostriches  cauadon.  the  spot  that  Barckhausen  and  I  had  j-jreviously 
visited  and  named  after  the  birds  we  saw  there. 

The  following  day  (27th)  we  made  a  good  march  and  encamped 
by  a  lagoon,  upon  which  I  shot  two  yellow-billed  teal,  and  Jones 
and  Burbury  four  ducks,  which  were  plucked  before  we  came  into 
camp.  On  the  morning  after  a  very  difficult  j)art  of  our  journey 
commenced.  All  day  we  travelled  over  a  pampa  covered  with 
basaltic  fragments  and  thorny  bushes  ;  some  of  these  bushes  bore 
a  red  tulip-like  tiower. 

Enormous  numbers  of  guanaco  haunt  these  grim  plateaus. 
Jones  and  I  galloped  a  half-grown  one,  and  killed  it  with  the  help 
of  a  do<>-.  The  croino^  was  extremeiv  bad,  our  path  Ivini--  ihrou'jh 
gorges  and  up  steep-sided  ridges,  rough  with  basaltic  fragments 
and  powdered  with  sharp  clinkers  of  lava.  It  is  not  easy  to 
describe  the  changing  fortunes  of  such  a  day.  For  instance,  we 
were  turned  again  and  again  by  gullies  and  rifts  in  the  hollows  of 
the  hills,  and,  what  with  shifting  cargoes  on  these  cruel  and  almost 
perpendicular  slopes,  the  difficulty  of  keeping  the  troop  of  horses 
straight  and  of  taking  care  of  one's  own  limbs,  was  extreme. 
Literally  thousands  of  guanaco  appeared  on  the  summits  of  the 
surrounding  barren  ridges,  and  fled  galloping  down  the  rock-faces 
with  jerking  necks  and  flying  hoofs.  Sometimes  the  old  bucks 
would  come  and  look  at  us,  running  towards  us  and  neighing  and 
lautrhinyf,  and  then  duckinir  their  Ion*'"  necks  and  canterino-  off 
WHiat  they  li\-ed  on  in  so  sterile  a  region  still  remains  a  mystery 
to  me. 

I  saw  one  condor  poised  high. 

Our  Indian  haquea?io,  Como  No,  had  told  us  that  we  must 
strike  "between  two  hills."  Barckhausen  asserted  that  he  had 
indicated  to  him  a  couj)le  of  round  peaks  on  the  summit  or  rather 
forniiiig  the  culminating-poiius  of  this  high  basalt  range.  We 
made  our  way  up  these  monstrous  steps,  as  ii  were,  of  rock,  steer- 
iu'^f  1)\-  the  comj)ass,  and  after  some  twent\  miles  ol  travelling 
found  ourselves  upon  a  bare  black  highland  o\cr  which  ihc   wind 


lyo         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OK  PATAGONIA 

was  tearing  in  heavy  gusts.  No  wood,  no  water,  no  grass.  I  was 
afraid  we  should  have  to  remain  there  for  the  night,  and  also  afraid 
that  Mrs.  Trelew,  the  viadrina  of  the  Trelew  troop,  whose  udder 
was  big,  niight  drop  her  foal  in  that  sterile  spot.  Another  danger 
which  menaced  us,  was  that  the  horses  would  certainly  become 
lame  if  they  had  to  travel  far  over  these  broken  rocks.  We  there- 
fore rode  on  perhaps  another  fourteen  miles,  and  the  dark  was 
falling  when  we  found  a  camp  in  a  cahadon — a  bad  approach 
strewn  with  basalt  fragments,  but  a  fair  camp  at  the  end  with  a 
little  stream  and  good  grass. 

On  December  29  the  Trelew  mare  dropped  her  foal,  a  little 
disproportionately-boned,  huge-jointed  alazan  filly.  During  the 
day  Scrivenor  and  I  explored  the  cahadon  and  I  shot  a  guanaco 
and  an  ostrich.  The  guanaco  was  a  very  father  of  guanacos,  old, 
scarred,  black-faced  and  war-worn.  His  meat  was  worse  than  that 
of  a  he-goat. 

To  all  sides  of  us  stretched  the  limitless  expanses  of  basalt, 
and  our  outlook  was  not  a  cheerful  one.  An  examination  of  the 
horses'  hoofs  convinced  us  that  another  day's  marching  such  as  the 
last  would  work  "Teat  havoc  amontrst  them.  I  did  not  know  how 
far  this  wilderness  of  basalt  might  extend,  so  on  December  30  set 
out  with  Burbury  to  attempt  to  find  its  boundary. 

Our  intention  had  been  to  strike  the  Indian  trail  under  the 
Cordillera  and  follow  it  until  we  reached  the  neio^hbourhood  of  the 
River  Belgrano,  when  we  would  keep  the  course  of  that  river  to 
its  junction  witli  the  River  Chico,  which  in  its  turn  would  lead  us 
down  to  the  settlement  of  Santa  Cruz,  our  destination.  When  1  lelt 
the  Cordillera  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  return  to  them  farther 
south  at  the  Lake  Argentino  near  lat.  50^  To  cover  a  large  area 
of  country,  and  at  the  same  time  to  collect  specimens,  is  a  physical 
impossibility.  I  had  therefore  decided  to  leave  Scrivenor  at  Santa 
Cruz  to  collect  fossils  in  that  vicinity,  while  I  myself  again  crossed 
the  continent  lo  the  Andes,  some  part  of  which  I  hoped  to  explore, 
and  my  dreams  were  not  uninfluenced  by  the  stories  of  the  red 
puma,  of  the  existence  of  which,  however,  Scrivenor  w'as  very 
dubious. 

Such,  then,  were  the  reasons  that  were  taking  us  to  the  eastern 


BACK  TO  CIVILISATION 


171 


-  '^^ 


THl.    INDIAN     IKAIL 


coast,  and  my  desire  was  to  arrive  there  as  soon  as  possible  in 
order  to  have  plenty  of  time  to  carry  out  my  projects  before  winter 
made  travelling  of  any  kind  impc^ssible.  Once  we  reached  the 
River  Bel^rano  our  difficulties  would  be  over,  that  we  knew  ;  but 
in  order  to  attain  this  end  we  had  to  pass  through  a  region  some- 
what waterless  and  stony 
lying  on  the  verge  of  the 
l)asalt  wilderness,  into  which 
we  had  straved. 

To  get  away  from  this 
basalt  region  was,  of  course, 
our  iirst  desire.  Could  we 
but  find  the  Indian  trail,  which 
we  were  sure  must  be  at  no 
great  distance,  and  which 
stretches,  leading  one  from 
camp    to    camp,   all    the   way 

from  Lake  Buenos  Aires  to  Punta  Arenas,  with  a  branch  in  the 
direction  of  Santa  Cruz,  our  troubles  would  be  at  an  end.  Owing, 
however,  to  the  lesseninof  number  of  Indians,  the  track  is  now  onlv 
clearly  visible  for  half  a  mile  at  a  time  in  the  neighbourhood  oi 
fords  and  other  difficult  places. 

To  return  to  our  search.  I3urbury  and  I  had  started  early. 
The  eoinor  at  first  was  over  basalt  clinker,  fearful  for  the  horses' 
feet,  but  presently  we  came  to  a  low  round  hillock  of  pebble — a 
hopeful  sight,  for  I  had  been  half  afraid  we  might  be  deep  in  the 
basalt  wilderness.  Following  on  we  discovered  other  pebbly 
hillocks,  on  one  of  which  I  found  a  single  horse-track,  stamped 
when  the  ground  was  soft  some  time  previously.  After  a  while, 
as  we  rounded  a  slope,  we  saw  a  bit  of  green  camp.  W  e  were 
bearing  a  little  west  of  south,  and  there  we  struck  the  lull  Indian 
trail  -that  wonderful  trail,  v^hich  runs  league  after  league,  worn 
by  the  footsteps  of  generations  upon  generations  of  Indians  as 
thev  migrated  up  and  down  the  length  of  the  countrv  with  ihcir 
women  and  children,  their  guanaco-skin  tents  and  their  lew- 
possessions. 

The  trail   is  much  like  a  oruanaco-track,  or  rather  like  several 


172 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


ki\i:k  111. in 


runnino-  side  bv  side.  So  the  Tehuelches  leave  their  footmarks, 
which  resemble  those  of  the  game  they  live  by,  and  they  leave 
little  else  to  show  to  those  who  come  after,  that  here  hundreds 
of  men  have  existed  through  the  centuries,  knowing  such  joys  and 
sufferings  as  lie  between  birth  and  death,  onlv  a  trodden  line  across 

the   waste    and   a   few   burnt 
bushes  by  the  wayside. 

We  rode  back  to  the  camp, 
and  decided  to   try  the  little 
filly   with  a   short    niarch,   as 
much   delay   was   out  of  the 
question.       The  horses  all  ap- 
peared to  be  interested  in  the 
arrangement,  and   refused  to 
be  driven  unless  the  filly  led. 
This    she    did,    making    her 
first  journey  trotting    beside 
her  mother.      We  had  to  cross  a  ford,  and  Barckhausen   brouo^ht 
the  fill}'  over  gently  by  the  ear,  Mrs.  Trelew  objecting  extremely 
to  such    treatment  of  her  offspring.      We  are  all  very  careful  and 
tender  over  our   loose-linibed    baby.      During  the  short  march  we 
saw  many  guanacos. 

The  duration  of  the  expedition  might  be  divided  into  periods  : 
first,  the  biscuit  period,  wnen  every  one  toasted  biscuits,  hard 
camp  biscuits,  shiny  and  of  a  great  size  ;  followed  by  the  dump- 
ling period.  Now  it  was  the  damper  period,  which  was  the  most 
appetising  of  them  all. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  year  we  managed  seven  leagues,  and 
camped  in  a  bare  canadou.  New  Year's  Day  we  covered  eight 
leagues  of  bare  and  arid  steppes  of  pampa.  At  this  time  we  had 
a  great  deal  of  hunting.  A  lame  dog,  left  behind  by  our  Argentine 
ostrich-hunter,  turned  out  to  be  excellent  for  sport.  We  named 
him  Chichi.  We  camped  by  a  lagoon  of  muddy  water  with  a  thin 
strip  of  {q.{1(\  half  encircling  it,  but  the  gras.s  was  rich  with  seed. 
jMirag-es  haunted  our  marches  throusfh  this  desolate  region.  This 
chapter  might  be  called  "Through  the  Land  of  Distant  Hills." 
There  was  a  savage  loneliness  between  those  wide  horizons  that 


Sj 


i:^-^ 


%^i^^' 


41 

a 


^ 


BACK  TO  CIVILISATION  173 

thrust  itself  upon  you.  One  felt  a  mere  atom,  and  the  thought  of 
finding-  oneself  condemned  to  live  there  alone  seemed  too  awful  to 
face.  The  bare,  round-headed  hills  looked  old  and  bald,  eternal 
winds  (though  not  so  strong  as  nearer  to  the  lake)  whistled  sadly 
as  before,  and  on  all  sides  pampa  pebbly  and  grassless,  ridge  on 
ridge,  horizon  on  horizon,  mirage  on  mirage. 

Suddenly,  during  that  night,  the  sky  became  black  over  the 
distant  Cordillera  and  the  rain  began.  Immediately  we  slung  up 
the  tents.  Oh,  those  tents,  what  a  comfort  they  were  at  the  end  of 
a  weary  march  !  We  had  no  adequate  poles  and  no  bushes  or  pegs 
to  hang  them  upon,  but  we  got  them  up  somehow  and  put  the 
cargo  round  them.  Then  we  crept  inside  and  listened  to  the  rain. 
The  warm  beds,  the  rugs,  the  candle  and  tobacco  and  books.  It 
was  homelike.  And  the  dry  shirt  one  could  put  on  within  that 
shelter,  with  the  rain,  rain  outside!  W^hen  you  have  slept  out  in 
all  weathers  vou  bes^in  to  understand  the  full  luxury  of  a  tent  like 
ours,  with  its  furs  and  warmth  and  a  decent  pipe  out  of  the  wind. 
It  is  a  moving  home.  To  be  free  of  the  weather,  to  let  it  rain  if 
it  wants  to,  to  lie  and  listen  to  it,  these  are  all  thrilling  pleasures, 
pleasures  because  of  the  contrast  to  the  wet  open  camp  where,  in 
spite  of  the  covered  and  sweating  head  and  body,  the  pitiless  rain 
trickles  in  pools  into  your  bed.  And  the  spell  of  reading  at  night 
inside  the  tent,  the  company  of  thoughts  new  and  old  of  wise  men, 
these  are  pleasures  of  which  only  the  wanderer  knows  the  true 
sweetness. 

Durinof  the  next  dav  or  two  we  continued  to  travel  over  the 
same  waterless  stony  pampa  ;  there  were  pigmy  hillocks,  many 
guanaco  and  a  lagoon  of  wonderful  shades  of  l:)lue.  also  the  wind 
ahead,  and  dust  blowinir  back  into  our  eves.  W'c  crossed  the 
River  Olin  and  pushed  on  for  the  River  Chico.  One  cold  night 
as  we  sat  round  the  fire  some  one  suooested  we  should  ha\c  an 
exhibition  of  our  effects  when  we  reached  Santa  Cruz.  Beyond  a 
broken  cup  or  two,  a  bouibilla,  and  a  shattered  kettle,  we  could 
produce  little  else.  It  was  hinted  that  I)arckhausen"s  trousers 
mioht  ficrure  in  it,  and  I  offered  to  contribute  mv  old  coat. 

Before  reaching  the  River  B(ilgrano  we  came;  in  sight  of  a 
troop  of  horses   being  driven   across   the    pampa    by  a   couple   of 


BACK  TO  CIVILISATION  173 

thrust  itself  upon  you.  One  felt  a  mere  atom,  and  the  thought  of 
finding  oneself  condemned  to  live  there  alone  seemed  too  awful  to 
face.  The  bare,  round-headed  hills  looked  old  and  bald,  eternal 
winds  (though  not  so  strong  as  nearer  to  the  lake)  whistled  sadly 
as  before,  and  on  all  sides  pampa  pebbly  and  grassless,  ridge  on 
ridge,  horizon  on  horizon,  mirage  on  mirage. 

Suddenly,  during  that  night,  the  sky  became  black  over  the 
distant  Cordillera  and  the  rain  began.  Immediately  we  slung  up 
the  tents.  Oh,  those  tents,  what  a  comfort  they  were  at  the  end  of 
a  weary  march  !  We  had  no  adequate  poles  and  no  bushes  or  pegs 
to  hang  them  upon,  but  we  got  them  up  somehow  and  [)ut  the 
cargo  round  them.  Then  we  crept  inside  and  listened  to  the  rain. 
The  warm  beds,  the  rugs,  the  candle  and  tobacco  and  books.  It 
was  homelike.  And  the  dry  shirt  one  could  put  on  within  that 
shelter,  with  the  rain,  rain  outside!  W^hen  you  have  slept  out  in 
all  weathers  you  begin  to  understand  the  full  luxury  of  a  tent  like 
ours,  with  its  furs  and  warmth  and  a  decent  pipe  out  of  the  wind. 
It  is  a  moving  home.  To  be  free  of  the  weather,  to  let  it  rain  if 
it  wants  to,  to  lie  and  listen  to  it,  these  are  all  thrilling  pleasures, 
pleasures  because  of  the  contrast  to  the  wet  open  camp  where,  in 
spite  of  the  covered  and  sweating  head  and  body,  the  pitiless  rain 
trickles  in  pools  into  your  bed.  And  the  spell  of  reading  at  night 
inside  the  tent,  the  company  of  thoughts  new  and  old  of  wise  men, 
these  are  pleasures  of  which  only  the  wanderer  knows  the  true 
sweetness. 

During'  the  next  dav  or  two  we  continued  to  travel  over  the 
same  waterless  stony  pampa  ;  there  were  pigmy  hillocks,  many 
guanaco  and  a  lagoon  of  wonderful  shades  of  blue,  also  the  wind 
ahead,  and  dust  blowinir  back  into  our  eves.  We  crossed  the 
River  Olin  and  pushed  on  for  the  River  Chico.  ( )ne  cold  night 
as  we  sat  round  the  fire  some  one  su«"2rested  we  should  ha\  c  an 
exhibition  of  our  effects  when  we  reached  Santa  Cruz.  Beyond  a 
broken  cup  or  two,  a  bouibilla.  and  a  shattered  kettle,  we  could 
produce  little  else.  It  was  hinted  that  l)arckhausen"s  trousers 
might  figure  in  it,  and  I  offered  to  contribute  my  old  coat. 

Before  reaching  the  River  Hcrlgrano  we  came  in  sight  of  a 
troop  of  horses   being  driven   across   the    [lampa    l)y  a  couple  ot 


174 


THROUGH  THE  HEAR  F  OF  PATAGONIA 


Gauchos.  At  first  si^ht  we  thought  them  a  mirage.  On  inquiry 
I  was  tokl  that  my  friend  Seiior  Waag  was  in  command,  news 
at  which  1  was  naturallv  deHofhted.  I  had  made  Mr.  Waao's 
acquaintance    in    Buenos   Aires,  and  we  had   arranged  to  meet   in 


kivi;k  Lii:i.(;KANo 


Patagonia  if  possible.  Mr.  Waag  was  on  the  Argentine  Boundary 
Commission,  and  has  done  more  valuable  geographical  work  in  the 
Cordillera  than  any  other  man.  Beintr  told  that  he  was  only  a 
couple  of  hours  behind  the  troop,  I  galloped  on  to  meet  him,  for  1 
heard  that  his  wacrcron  had  broken  down,  and  so  made  sure  of 
coming  upon  him.  After  a  few  hours  going,  I  arrived  at  the 
camp  of  his  assistants,  where  were  two  Italian  engineers,  and  also 
some  piratical-looking /('^;//<:\v  in  red  caps  making  bread  in  an  oven 
due  into  the  ground.  Ihit  Mr.  Waao^  himself  was  not  there, 
havjng  gone  off  the  track  to  camp  in  a  cafiadon.  I  was  greatly 
disappointed,  for  I  had  looked  forward  to  this  meeting. 

However,  we  were  greedy  to  hear  news  of  the  outer  world, 
from  which  we  had  been  cut  off  for  four  months.  We  were  far 
behind  the  times.  I  think  our  first  question  was  about  the  war 
and  Kruger.  We  learned  that  he  was  in  Europe  and  that  guerilla 
warfire  was  still  croino-  on.  The  Italians'  news  only  carried  up  to 
November. 

We  made  our  camp  a  little  way  from  theirs,  and  our  hounds 
strayed  over  to  them  and  stayed  with  their  waggons,  deserting  us 


o 


til 


y. 

a 


a 


/^^V. 


4^\ 


BACK  TO  CIVILISATION 


^^S 


altogether.  As  for  ourselves,  we  were  most  kindly  entertained  by 
the  Italian  engineers,  and  enjoyed  the  luxuries  of  a  tin  of  butter, 
biscuit,  bread,  tea,  milk,  sugar  and  some  cognac.  Flies  abounded 
and  bothered  us  as  w^e  ate  our  meal  on  a  packing-case,  an  ostenta- 
tious comfort  which  made  us  feel  very  civilised. 

We  were  now  in  the  valley  of  the  Chico,  which  is  a  large 
stream  with  a  swift  current,  its  caiiadou  bordered  with  bare  ridges. 
It  felt  like  old  tinies  to  be  in  a  river  valley  once  more,  reminding 
us  of  those  we  had  passed  through  on  our  way  to  Lake  Buenos 
Aires.  W^e  saw  geese  again,  of  which  I  shot  two,  and  also  a 
pigeon.  The  valley  here  was  very  rich  with  red  seed-bearing  grass, 
and  beyond,  nearer  to  the  water,  a  glorious  green  pantaiu\  dotted 
with  deep  clear  pools. 

Before  parting  with  the  Italians  they  presented  us  with  some 
sugar  and  I  gave  them  some  tea  and  tobacco.  The  valley 
through  which  we  marched  continued  to  be  very  fertile.  The 
ofrass  was  like  that  of  an  Enorlish  meadow  with  sweet  far-off 
scents,  but  lacking  the  dewiness  of  our  English  scents  of  wood 
and  wold. 

On  January  7  we  travelled  eleven  leagues,  taking  a  short  cut 
through  a  bare  cahadon  of  dry  mud-hills.  Leaving  this  behind  us 
we  again  came  in  sight  of  the  River  Chico  and  crossed  a  high 
pampa  of  yellow  tussocks  and  gravel.  The  morning  dawned  hot 
w^ith  the  usual  accompaniment  of  mosquitoes  and  sand-Hies.  As 
we  sighted  the  river  this  heat  gave  place  to  a  fresh  rain-smelling 
wind,  inexpressibly  grateful. 

In  the  afternoon,  as  we  rode  along,  there  appeared  against  the 
sky  a  keen  peak  of  rock — Sierra  Ventana.  We  had  long  been 
looking  forward  to  our  first  glimpse  of  it,  knowing  it  would  be  a 
sign  that  we  were  nearing  civilisation.  r)lue,  distant,  perhaps 
thirty  miles  away,  behind  the  basalt  hills,  it  raised  its  strange 
castle-like  head,  only  the  castle  is  of  natures  building,  not  man's. 
I  think  we  all  welcomed  this  token  of  the  old  kindly  iiihabiud 
world  again,  after  our  months  spent  on  houseless  plains  .uul 
inhospitable  mountains. 

A  herd  of  guanaco  some  twenty  strong  showed  at  almost  the 
same  moment.      I   galloped  forward,  feeling  glad   that  our  dinner 


176 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


no  longer  depended  on  my  shot,  I  was  a  mere  sportsman  once 
more.  The  doe  I  shot  had  fat  on  her,  the  first  we  had  seen 
diirine'  our  wandering's,  "  iust  as  we've  sfot  the  chance  of  fat  mutton, 


^.^m^l^Mk 

/^■■^^^^^^^^^^^H 

s 

W!l 

>  ^ 

"iigi  ,^ 

TllK    HOMK    OF   THK    INDIAN    WHO   GAVE    US    MUTTC^N 

too,"  as  someone  remarked.  Rain  fell  at  night,  and  the  wind  blew, 
but  with  the  razor-edge  of  cold  off  We  camped  in  some  flowering- 
grasses  with  the  bare  steppes  of  the  pampa  on  one  side  and 
the  dark  hills  on  the  other  ;  behind  these,  among  some  bright 
streaks  in  the  stormy  billowy  sky,  the  Sierra  Ventana  thrust  up 
its  crest. 

Next  day  we  came  upon  a  hut  of  Indians,  who  gave  me  some 
mutton,  for  which  they  would  accept  no  payment.  Perhaps  they 
did  not  like  to  take  money  from  a  man  in  so  old  a  coat!  I,  how- 
ever, o-H-ve  them  some  tobacco. 

Later  we  came  upon  a  bush-shelter  of  some  tender  of  sheep 
and  cattle.  It  was  a  forlorn  little  place — just  a  hut  of  poles  and 
bushes  and  skins  by  the  river  bank.  It  was  doorless,  and  the 
dweller  must  have  been  a  very  small  man,  judging  by  his  bed, 
which  was  a  hole  in  the  earth,  pillowed  with  a  broken  wooden 
cargo-saddle.  On  one  of  the  props  was  fastened  a  card  v^ith  the 
word   '' Salido''  (Gone  out).      A   bag  of  ^anvas,  old  and   stained. 


jP^^PrA 


■^^' 


^    "m 


vv/    ^'b* 


,,  l/  ''Ilk     I    V 


^is^ 


\ 


SIERRA   VKNTAXA 


BACK  TO  CIVILISATION  177 

was  tied  up  to  the  roof,  a  cracked  tiny  mirror  hung  from  the 
central  pole.  He  seemed  to  have  no  provisions,  only  a  bag  of 
yerba.  He  had  recently  killed  a  lion,  for  we  found  its  skull.  We 
saw  some  half-wild  cattle  near  by.  It  was  a  grey  evening,  and,  as 
always  when  out  of  the  river  valleys,  the  scene  around  was  colour- 
less basaltic  desolation. 

On  the  9th  we  struck  three  habitations.      Strong  squalls  with 


e       ^ 


LA   GAVIOTA 


gusts  of  rain  accompanied  us  on  our  way.  Sheep  and  cattle  could 
be  seen  in  the  valley  below,  and  at  last  we  stopped  at  an  estanci.i. 
where  we  bought  farina,  flour,  biscuit,  sugar,  and  mutton — luxuries 
to  which  we  had  for  some  time  been  strangers.  The  owner  allowed 
us  to  sleep  in  some  mud-houses  by  the  river,  and  we  enjoyed  the 
shelter,  partial  as  it  was. 

Our  next  day's  march  took  us  across  four  fords,  and  by  evening 
we  reached  an  estaucia,  where  1  was  kindlv  received  and  gi\  en 
afternoon  tea.  Estaucia  is  a  word  with  a  fine  sound.  It  may, 
however,  mean  an)"thing  from  a  real  house,  full  ot  comfort,  to  a 
mud  hut.  This  cstancia  was  a  delio'htful  chanijc  to  us  ;  we  could 
sit  on  chairs  and  saw  prints  on  the  wall  and  a  sideboard  once  more. 
The  night  fell  very  cold,  with  an  empty  heaven  overhead,  but  its 
lower  arcs  set  with  slate-blue  cloud. 

M 


178 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


On  the  I  I  th  \vc  hit  civiHsation  after  a  march  of  over  forty  miles, 
the  last  part  of  which  lay  across  a  travesia.  Civilisation  took  the 
form   of  an   undersized  drinking-shop  perched  on  the  rim   of  the 


SANTA    CKUZ 


bare  pampa.  How  we  had  longed  for  civilisation — and  now  we 
had  found  it !  I  sat  writing  in  a  room  with  pink  fly-blown  walls 
and  green  fittings  of  the  orrimiest.  Four  Gauchos  of  the  lower 
sort  were  playing  cards  for  beans  and  shrieking  over  their  game. 
The  little  innkeeper,  a  small,  dark,  aquiline,  black-bearded  Argen- 
tine, in  a  dirty  white  vest  and  a  black  neck-rag,  held  rule 
inside.  Any  camp  is  better  than  these  antenna-  of  civilisation, 
that  seem  to  have  touched  and  always  to  bear  onwards  with  them 
things  unclean  and  rei)ulsive.  Jones'  homely  face  was  good  to 
see,  when  he  came  in  and  said,  "  I  should  like  to  be  away  from 
here." 

I  realised   suddenly  how  I  loved  the  camp  and   the  cold   clean 
hills,  when  I  heard   the  raucous  music   of  that  unlovely  place.      It 


BACK  TO  CIVILISATION 


179 


was  scarcely  a  pleasure  to  see  cognac  acKertisements  again,  and  to 
smell  the  dregs  of  yesterday  yet  awash  on  the  greasy  grey  metal 
counter !  A  concertina  was  playing  the  old  aching  tunes  that 
always  seem  to  carry  with  them  tags  of  vice  and  crime. 


RESIDENTS   OK   SANTA    CKLV. 


We  pushed  on  for  Santa  Cruz,  and  on  the  way  passed  the 
house  of  another  trader,  who  also  sold  liquor.  It  squatted  beside 
the  river,  which  here  flowed  blue  and  estu3ry-like  between  white- 
faced  cliffs  backed  bv  bald  hills.  A  board  over  the  door  of 
the  shop  bore  the  legend  ''La  Gaviota^'  or  Seagull.  It  was 
evidently  part  of  the  wreckage  of  some  boat  washed  up  on  these 
beaches. 

Santa  Cruz  town  is  situated  on  the  b<uiks  ol  a  lar^c  cstiiarx" 
formed  by  the  junction  of  the  ri\ers  Santa  Cruz  and  the  Southern 
Chico  before  they  fall  into  the  Atlantic.  It  is  a  straggling  place,  a 
collection  of  wooden  houses  with  roofs  of  corrugated  iron.  The  chief 
export  is  wool,  which  in  the  season  lies  in  long  rows  of  bales  ujxm 


i8o         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

the  shore  ready  to  be  embarked.  The  town  lies  beyond  sandhills, 
which  separate  it  from  the  sea.  Concertinas  and  jack-boots  ring  in 
its  galvanised-iron  huts  ;  mules,  horses,  dogs,  and  cattle  house 
in  its  formless  plazas.  It  is  a  place  which  you  hate  and  like  at 
one  and  the  same  time.  You  long  to  get  away  from  it  while 
you  are  there,  yet  find  yourself  looking  back  sometimes  and 
wishing  to  see  again  its  vague  streets  and  its  drag-net  agglome- 
ration of  humanity. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO 

Dividing  expedition — Darwin's  trip  up  the  Santa  Cruz — Provisions — Shoeing 
horses — Pampa  grass  and  marsh  grass— Start  for  Lake  Argentine — Burbury 
and  Bernardo — Visit  various  cstancias — Negro — Suspicious  wayfarers — Hospi- 
tality— Cahadon  of  the  Santa  Cruz — Dry  pampa — Sunsets — Game  and  wildfowl 
— Flamingos — Sandflies — Mystery  Plain — Lake  Argentine — River  del  Bote 
— Mount  Viscachas — Lonely  lagoon — Death-place  of  guanaco — Neigh  of 
guanaco — Large  herds — Thorny  grass — Description  of  Lake  Argentine — A 
tragedy  of  wild  life — Condors — Numerous  birds  and  beasts  of  prey — Severities 
of  winters — Snowfall — Burmeister  Peninsula — Lake  Rica  or  South  Fjord — Bad 
weather — The  Wild  Man  of  Santa  Cruz. 

I  SPENT  a  few  days  in  Santa  Cruz  making"  arrangements  to 
divide  my  expedition  into  two  parts,  leaving  Scrivenor  with  the 
peoiies  to  collect  fossils  and  specimens  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
River  Santa  Cruz,  where  most  interesting  deposits  exist,  while  I 
with  Burbury  and  a  peon,  whom  I  picked  up  at  Santa  Cruz, 
recrossed  the  continent  to  the  lake-region. 

In  a  huge  country  like  Patagonia,  to  explore  and  to  collect  at  the 
same  time  is  practically  out  of  the  question,  but  by  dividing  our 
forces  I  hoped  to  achieve  both  ends  more  satisfactorily. 

The  lake  which  I  now  wished  to  visit  is  the  last  very  large 
piece  of  water  in  the  long  chain  of  Andean  lakes  and  lagoons.  It 
is  a  little  to  the  south  of  50°  S.  lat.  F'rom  this  lake,  Lake  Argen- 
tino,  the  River  Santa  Cruz  Hows  eastwards  and  empties  itself  into 
the  Atlantic,  the  settlement  of  Santa  Cruz  being  situated  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  It  was  by  following  the  course  of  this  river 
upwards  for  some  140  miles  that  Darwin  made  his  only  serious 
expedition  into  the  interior  of  Patagonia.  His  party  tound  the 
passage  of  the  river  both  dangerous  and  laborious,  and  Captain 
iMtzRoy  decided  to  return  to  Santa  Cruz  on  the  fifth  day,  alter 
they  sighted  the  snowy  summits  of  the  Cordillera.  Thus  they 
never  reached  Lake  Ar^entino. 


1 82         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OK  PATAGONIA 

We  also  followed  the  course  of  the  river,  but  on  horseback 
instead  of  by  boat,  and  thus  for  the  early  part  of  our  journey  we 
passed  through  the  identical  country  traversed  by  Darwin. 

I   desired  above   all    things    to   be  able    to   move  rapidly,  and 


.1.    .MAIN    STRKKT,    SANTA    CRUZ 


accordingly  cut  down  the  amount  and  weight  of  our  baggage  as  far 
as  prudence  permitted.  I  append  a  list  of  the  provisions,  which  I 
intended — with  the  help  of  guanaco  meat — to  last  us  for  the  four 
months  which  remained  before  we  must  return  t(j  the  coast  if  we 
wished  to  escape  the  severities  of  the  Andean  winter  : 


35  kilos  farina. 
25  kilos  oatmeal. 


15  kilos  sugar. 
6  11).  tea. 


12  tins  cocoa. 


Besides  these  we  took  a  spare  change  of  underclothing,  one  of 
the  tents,  fifty  rounds  of  12-bore  ball  and  the  same  quantity  of 
shot  cartridges  and   150  for  the  Mauser  rifle. 

We  were  abk-  to  put  everything  on  two  cargiieros,  and  even 
then  they  were  not  very  heavily  loaded.  I  took  two  uiadrinas, 
the  Zaino  mare  and  Mrs.  Trelew,  with  their  respective  troops,  the 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO  183 

horses  numbering  in  all  iwcnty-one.  During  ihcir  rest  in  Santa 
Cruz  they  had  attained  to  cjuite  fair  condition,  and  were  in  conse- 
quence ready  for  the  road.  It  was  necessary  to  shoe  such  as  would 
permit  the  operation,  as  their  hoots  had  been  worn  down  by  the 
basalt  fragments  which  had  strewed  our  path  from  the  north. 
The  operation,  by  the  way,  was  one  which  we  had  to  perform 
ourselves,  as  the  blacksmith  at  Santa  Cruz,  on  being  asked  to  do 
it,  said  he  preferred  the  trade  of  building  wooden  houses,  but  con- 
sented to  lend  us  his  foroe  and  tools  for  three  dollars  a  dav.  We 
had  some  difficulty  in  finding  shoes  to  fit,  and  I  warn  any  future 
traveller  against  the  nails  which  they  keep  for  shoeing  purposes  in 
the  settlement. 

The  short  harsh  y^rass  usuallv  to  be  had  on  the  pamoa  is 
certainly  a  very  much  better  food  for  horses  destined  to  travel 
long  and  hard  journeys  than  the  beautiful  meadowy  vegas  of  the 
Cordillera,  w'hich  look  so  inviting.  The  richer  grass  of  the  latter 
naturally  fattens  them  in  a  wonderfully  short  space  of  time,  but 
the  first  hard  day's  march  cuts  up  their  condition  like  so  much 
butter. 

We  left  Santa  Cruz  on  January  22.  I  was  accompanied  l)y 
Burburv  and  a  Swede,  Bernardo  Hahansen,  who  proved  in  the 
event  to  be  a  useful  and  coura^jeous  fellow.  Our  first  march  took 
us  to  Mr.  Campbell's  estancia.  We  saw  a  good  number  of 
guanaco  and  some  ostriches  on  the  way,  which  at  first  lay  across 
the  open  pampa,  afterwards  diving  into  a  deep  canadou  some  seven 
and  a  half  leagues  long.  The  little  Blanco  showed  his  apprecia- 
tion of  the  excellent  food  he  had  been  enjoying  by  behaving 
badlv.  On  arrival  we  found  Mr.  Campbell  was  away  from  th'-  farm 
repairing  fences,  so  we  were  obliged  to  await  his  return.  W  hen 
he  came,  he  took  us  up  to  the  house,  where  we  had  some  tea.  \\  e 
remained  at  the  estancia  for  the  night,  and  next  day  went  on  about 
three  leagues  over  good  pampa  to  Messrs.  Cressard  and  Dobree's. 
The  manager,  Mr.  John  Noble,  received  us  kindly.  The  cook  at 
this  farm,  a  former  New  Zealand  hand,  had  come  with  us  to 
Puerto  Madryn  in  the  Primero  de  Mayo,  and  said  he  wouKl  have 
applied  to  go  with  us  had  he  known  how  to  cargo  horses.  As  he 
cooked  very  well    I    should   ha\e   been  glad  to  have   received   his 


1 84         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

application.  On  January  24  we  reached  dementi's  estancia.  We 
were  accompanied  on  the  march  by  an  old  Irish  sailor  with  a 
Hibernian  cast  of  countenance.  The  sehora  asked  us  into  the 
house  and   at   once  gave  us  hot   milk  and  bread,  which  was  very 


.  OKD   ON    THE    RIVEK    SANTA 


grateful  after  a  long  day  in  the  saddle.  The  valley  near  by  was 
full  of  sheep,  and  several  healthy-looking  children  were  playing 
about  the  buildings.  Here  also  I  saw  the  first  and  only  negro  I 
met  with  in  Patatronia.  The  sioht  of  his  face  ofave  me  a  sudden 
vivid  recollection  of  Hayti.  A  long-bearded  Argentine  patriarch, 
whom  I  descried  first  in  the  half-licrhts  of  the  kitchen  durino^  the 
evening,  looked  a  very  Abraham  and  most  venerable,  but  day- 
light on  the  morrow  robbed  him  of  all  romance. 

On  this  day  (the  25th)  we  pushed  on  to  the  Sub-prefecto's 
estcDicia.  It  consisted  of  the  usual  corrugated  iron  shanty  and 
barn.  We  marched  on  the  following  morning  and  reached  La 
Ultima  Casa,  where  we  were  hospitably  entertained  by  Mrs. 
Hardy.  She  was  indeed  very  kind.  Her  husband  had  been  an 
Englishman,  but  she  herself  was  an  Argentine.  It  is  certainly  a 
fact  in  Patagonia  that  the  Argentines  are  far  more  ready  to  show 
hospitality  than  are  our  own  countrymen.     One  hardly  wonders, 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO  185 

however,  at  people  being  a  little  cautious  and  suspicious,  as  the 
wayfarer  is  not  always  a  wandering  angel  in  Patagonia,  or,  for  that 
matter,  in  any  thinly  populated  country  that  is  being  newly  opened 
up.  Therefore  we  were  the  more  grateful  to  our  hostess  of  La 
Ultima  Casa.  At  the  shanty  of  another  farmer,  a  Scotchman,  we 
had  had  the  door  bolted  against  us,  and  been  told  to  await  his 
home-coming  if  we  wished  to  enter  the  house. 

We  ate  our  meal  at  Mrs.  Hardy's  sitting  on  up-turned  boxes, 
and  she  brought  out  some  maoazines  for  our  readintr.  Hers  was  a 
strange  existence,  poor  old  lady  !  She  appeared  to  be  regarded  or 
— it  comes  to  the  same  thino- — thought  she  was  reearded  a  little  in 
the  light  of  an  Ishmaelite  by  her  neighbours,  who  were  trying  (she 
told  me)  to  acquire  her  land.  Her  position  did  not  seeni  to  be 
prosperous.  The  casa  had  the  usual  corrugated  roof,  and  her  one 
window  could  boast  no  o-Iass.  From  this  main  buildinLT  a  sort  of 
barn  jutted  out  to  the  left.  Later  on,  I  decided  that  this  annex, 
which  I  at  first  took  to  be  a  barn,  must  be  the  old  lady's  private 
sanctum,  for  from  it  she  produced  five  magazines,  some  lions' 
claws,  a  skunk-skin  rug,  some  hen's  eggs,  and  the  hen  herself  A 
regular  widow's  cruse  of  a  place.  The  blackened  roof  of  the 
kitchen  was  supported  by  four  beams  lengthways  and  four  across, 
these  last  shiny  as  if  tarred  with  the  smoke  of  many  winters.  An 
old  step-ladder  in  the  corner  answered  the  uses  of  a  cupboard, 
cups  and  so  forth  being  kept  on  a  couple  of  wooden  shelves,  and 
lumps  of  sheep's  fat  decorated  the  room.  We  sat  on  the  old 
wooden  bedstead  with  its  pile  of  sheepskins  for  bed-clothes  and 
wrote  our  diary.  Our  hostess,  who  wore  her  hair  in  two  i)laits 
hanging  down  at  each  side  of  her  face,  sat  on  a  case  and  talked 
while  she  drank  the  inevitable  viaic^  throuoh  a  bonibilla.  She 
asked  us  to  remain  over  a  second  day,  which  was  most  good  ot 
her,  but  we  had  to  continue  our  journey. 

We  marched  until  about  three  o'clock,  when,  coming  up  u^  an 
empty  shanty,  we  took  shelter  in  it  for  a  while,  as  it  happened  to 
be  very  hot.  Later  we  started  again,  and  made  a  long  march 
across  a  })ampa  above  the  cauadoi  of  the  Santa  Cruz,  which  is 
here  two  miles  or  more  in  breadth.  Speaking  of  this  cauadon.  I 
cannot  do  better  than  gi\e  Darwin's  words  :  "  This  valley  varies 


1 86         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

from  five  to  ten  miles  in  l:)readth  :  it  is  bounded  by  step-f(3rmed 
terraces,  which  rise  in  most  parts  one  above  the  other  to  the 
height  of  500  feet,  and  have  on  the  opposite  sides  a  remarkable 
•correspondence." 

The  river  winds  considerably  as  it  flows  through  the  cafiadon, 
the  sides  of  wdiich  are  very  bare  and  grassless,  excepting  where 
springs  break  through  and  flow  down  the  cliff-side,  their  course 
being  marked  by  a  line  of  vivid  green.  The  pami^a  above,  along 
which  we  travelled,  was  made  up  of  bare  yellow  levels,  broken 
here  and  there  by  strips  and  patches  of  a  very  dark  green  bush,  so 
■dark  as  to  seem  almost  black.  We  found  a  good  deal  of  difficulty 
in  getting  to  a  camp  with  water,  as  the  pampa  was  very  dry,  so  we 
prolonged  our  march  till  7.15  p.m.,  when  we  came  upon  a  shallow 
and  turbid  stream  running  down  in  a  southerly  direction  from  the 
■barranca.  In  the  end  we  had  to  descend  into  the  cahadon  of  the 
river.  Not  far  from  the  spot  which  we  chose  for  camping  lay  the 
bodies  of  some  eighty  guanaco  with  their  skins  on,  which  had  died 
during  the  previous  winter. 

The  landscape  immediately  on  the  banks  of  the  Santa  Cruz  is 
arid  and  hopeless  in  the  extreme,  but  one  can  never  forget  the 
glory  of  Patagonia,  its  wonderful  sunsets,  which  gleam  out  over 
the  dull-hued  empty  wastes  in  a  splendour  of  colour.  So  on  that 
night  as  I  stood  in  the  shadow  that  steeped  all  my  side  of  the 
river,  the  other  bank  was  lit  up  with  a  translucent  glow  of  sunset 
as  delicately  yellow  as  if  it  shone  through  the  petals  of  a  butter- 
cup. 

On  January  27  we  started  along  the  canadon,  which  continued 
to  be  desolate  and  rather  stony.  We  saw  many  guanaco,  living 
and  dead.  After  a  time  we  made  for  the  pampa  above,  from 
where  we  looked  once  again  upon  the  Cordillera,  gleaming  very 
dim  and  faint  on  the  horizon.  Finding  a  lagoon  with  some  grass 
about  it,  we  off-saddled  for  an  hour.  Later  we  marched  on  rather 
more  slowly  than  usual,  and  camped  in  such  a  place  as  a  wildfowler 
mieht  see  in  dreams  of  the  nioht.  A  la"oon  of  sword-blue  water, 
but  in  shape  like  an  arrowhead,  rimmed  in  with  low  green  rushes, 
above  these  yellow  tussocks  of  coarse  grass  bending  in  the  wind, 
behind  all  a  bare  promontory  arched  over  by  a  sad  evening  sky. 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO  187 

On  the  breeze  came  the  "Honk,  honk"  of  geese  mixed  with 
the  thinner  notes  of  snipe.  Ducks,  too,  were  there,  and  the  snipe 
in  wisps  of  thirty.  Presently,  as  I  sat  writing,  a  guanaco  came  in 
sight,  and  later  a  flock  of  cayenne  lapwings  (  J^ane//us  cayennensis). 
I  might  have  been,  as  far  as  the  aspect  of  things  was  concerned 
(save  for  the  guanaco)  in  Uist  and  going  home  to  a  warm  fireside, 
instead  of  journeying  on  and  on  for  many  days  and  weeks  to  come 
over  the  (mdless  pampa  and  into  the  distant  Cordillera. 

At  this  lagoon  also  I  saw  a  condor  {^Sarcorhavipiis  grypJnis), 
and  before  this  had  seen  a  couple  when  at  Mrs.  Hardy's.  It  must 
have  been  near  this  spot  that  Darwin  shot  his  condor,  which  he 
speaks  of  as  measuring  eight  and  a  half  feet  from  wingtip  to  wing- 
tip,  and  four  feet  from  head  to  tail. 

By  the  middle  of  the  next  day  (January  28)  we  reached  a 
lagoon  with  a  threshold  of  green  meadowy  marsh,  a  relief  after  a 
long  pull  over  a  waterless  and  bare  stretch  of  country,  and  there 
took  a  needed  half-hour  of  rest.  On  our  second  startinof  we 
managed  to  wander  into  a  desert  of  basalt  or  lava,  and  could  only 
advance  very  slowly  and  with  difficulty.*  Nor  could  we  find  water 
for  a  long  time  ;  at  length  we  came  in  sight  of  a  big  pool 
lying  ruffied  in  the  saffron  lights  of  the  sunset.  Upon  its  margin 
or  in  the  water  were  flamingos  {Phoenicopteriis  ignipalliatus), 
upland  geese  {CJiloephaga  magellanica),  thirty-four  bandurias 
( Tlieristictis  caiidatus).  There  were  also  guanaco  within  sight. 
Here  we  camped,  and  found  yet  another  deep  and  rocky  lagoon, 
on  which  were  manv  divers  which  I  could  not  identifv.  A  heavv 
wind  was  blowing-  which  died  down  at  niofht  and  o-ave  occasion 
for  hundreds  of  sandflies  to  rise  and  worry  us.  Each  day,  as  we 
marched  on,  the  Cordillera  seemed  to  be  advancing,  as  it  were, 
towards  us. 

We  woke  to  find  the  next  day  pale  with  thin  sunlight  glinting 
across  the  prospect  of  basalt,  low  bushes  and  far  horizons.  We 
were  now  well  beyond  Mystery  Plain,  which  formed  the  limit  of 
Darwin's   expeditions  up   the   river,   and   which   he  named   with  a 

*  A  Kiiide  who  applied  to  me  at  Santa  Cruz  warned  ine  th.it.  if  we  went  witliout  him, 
we  would  have  great  difficulty  at  this  point.  He  asked  ten  dollars  a  day  for  his  services, 
whicii  I,  however,  declined. 


i8  8         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

strong  desire  to  push  on  and  find  out  what  lay  on  its  farther 
side. 

On  the  29th  we  made  a  long  march.  After  some  couple 
of  hours'  going  we  saw  ahead  of  us  clear  pampa  instead  of  the 
rocky  stone-strewn  surface  of  the  region  we  had  been  passing 
through  of  late.  Over  this  pampa,  though  it  was  tussocky  and 
uneven,  we  were  able  to  advance  at  a  good  rate  towards  a  line  of 
hills  that  rose  in  the  west.  As  we  approached  we  saw  that  they 
stood  up  ridge  behind  ridge,  and  over  these  we  rode,  passing 
many  good  camping-grounds  and  seeing  herds  of  guanaco,  but  no 
wood  or  bush  for  fire.  At  last  we  got  to  the  top  of  the  last  ridge 
of  all,  and  there,  standing  in  the  teeth  of  a  strong  wind,  we  looked 
down  upon  Lake  Argentino  lying  below  us,  and  backed  by  the 
peaks  and  snow  summits  of  the  Cordillera. 

Although  there  were  many  cahadoncs  and  grass  of  the  richest, 
we  could  find  no  water,  and  so  went  on  and  on. 

Presently,  as  we  were  descending  towards  the  lake,  we  reached 
a  lagoon,  but  found  no  feed  there  for  the  horses,  so  we  were  forced 
to  leave  it  behind,  although  the  troop  was  tired  and  we  had  been 
for  several  hours  in  the  saddle.  I  perceived  traces  of  horses  at 
some  distance,  and  we  therefore  left  the  bank  of  the  lagoon  and 
cut  across  the  pampa  heading  for  them.  We  wandered  on 
through  bare  hills,  which  fell  in  perplexing  folds,  curve  within 
curve,  antl  at  last  we  reached  the  River  del  Bote,  which  has  but 
one  ford  by  which  we  could  cross.  This  we  found,  worked  the 
troop  over,  and  then  encamped. 

Day  by  day  we  had  been  leaving  behind  us  the  seemingly 
limitless  pampas  and  were  now  drawing  close  to  the  full  blue 
range  of  minaret-shai)ed  mountains.  Each  march  was  adding  to 
their  height  and  making  clearer  the  details  hidden  in  the  hedoe- 
sparrow-egg  hue  of  their  distances.  First  we  came  in  sight  of 
Mount  Viscachas  one  morning  when,  bearing  a  little  too  far  out 
upon  the  pampa,  we  struck  a  tract  of  very  bad  going.  The  ground 
was  covered  with  thorny  bushes  and  basalt  fragments,  and  here 
and  there  harsh  tussocks  of  grass  sprouted  from  the  blackened 
wilderness  of  stones.  The  night  we  passed  beside  the  lagoon  on 
the  high  pampa    left   an   impression   on   my  mind   as  one  of   the 


.^ 


■^ 


■5-  . 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO  189 

most  desolate  and  forbidding  of  camps.  Flocks  of  flamintros  were 
standing  in  the  upland  pool,  and  round  about  upon  the  little  pro- 
montories that  thrust  out  into  the  wind-whipped  water  bandurias 
were  huddled  in  close  order,  while  as  the  evening  began  to  fall  a 
wisp  of  snipe  flew  over,  wailing  most  mournfully.  F"ew  things, 
indeed,  seem  to  me  to  brin;^  out  into  keener  prominence  the 
loneliness  of  a  place  than  the  cry  of  snipe  heard  in  the  windv 
gloaming.  There  is  some  suggestion  of  human  sorrow  in  the 
sound. 

So  we  had  journeyed  westward,  having  always  upon  the  south 
the  yellow  pampa,  and  beside  us  on  the  north  the  river  running 
through  its  deep  canadon,  while  every  dawn  the  vast  phalanx  of 
the  Andean  peaks  seemed  to  have  moved  nearer,  as  though  the 
great  mass  of  mountain  was  marching  slowly  and  surely  towards 
us  like  the  battle-front  of  some  destroying  army. 

Again  we  came  upon  a  second  death-place  of  guanaco,  which 
made  a  scene  strano^e  and  strikino^  cnouoh.  There  cannot  have 
been  less  than  five  hundred  lying  there  in  positions  as  forced  and 
ungainly  as  the  most  ill-taken  snapshot  photograph  could  produce. 
Their  long  necks  were  outstretched,  the  rime  of  weather  upc^n  their 
decaying  hides,  and  their  bone-joints  glistening  through  the  wounds 
made  by  the  beaks  of  carrion-birds.  They  had  died  during  the 
severities  of  the  previous  winter,  and  lay  literally  piled  one  upon 
another  A  brown,  almost  chocolate-coloured,  lagoon  washed 
close  to  the  front  rank  of  the  dead,  and  those  in  the  rearmost  line 
had  evidentlv  lain  down  to  die  while  in  the  verv  act  of  descendino^ 
the  tall  biwranca  for  water.  The  mortality  among  guanaco  in  a 
really  hard  winter  is  tremendous.  They  die  in  batches,  absolutely 
in  hundreds.  At  that  season  thev  come  down  to  the  lower 
ofrounds  for  warmth  and  water,  but  desert  them  in  the  summer 
and  take  to  the  high  pampa,  where,  as  I  have  tlescribed  in  another 
place,  the  Indians  hunt  and  slay  them  in  great  numbers  for  their 
pelts.  The  cry  of  the  guanaco  is  a  noise  unique.  It  is  something 
between  a  bleat,  a  laugh,  and  a  neigh.  Often  the  old  ))iac/io  of  a 
herd  would  come  to  the  high  ground  nearest  t(^  (uir  camp,  and  from 
it  neigh  defiance  at  us.  while  the  rest  of  the  point  wouKl  salisly 
their  curiosity  by  staring  from  a  safer  distance. 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO  189 

most  desolate  and  forbidding  of  camps,  Flocks  of  flamingos  were 
standing  in  the  upland  pool,  and  round  about  upon  the  little  pro- 
montories that  thrust  out  into  the  wind-whipped  water  bandurias 
were  huddled  in  close  order,  while  as  the  evening  began  to  fall  a 
wisp  of  snipe  flew  over,  wailing  most  mournfully.  Few  things, 
indeed,  seem  to  me  to  bring  out  into  keener  prominence  the 
loneliness  of  a  place  than  the  cry  of  snipe  heard  in  the  windv 
gloaming.  There  is  some  suggestion  of  human  sorrow  in  the 
sound. 

So  we  had  journeyed  westward,  having  always  upon  the  south 
the  yellow  pampa,  and  beside  us  on  the  north  the  river  running 
through  its  deep  canadon,  while  every  dawn  the  vast  phalanx  of 
the  Andean  peaks  seemed  to  have  moved  nearer,  as  though  the 
great  mass  of  mountain  was  marching  slowly  and  surely  towards 
us  like  the  battle-front  of  some  destroying  army. 

Again  we  came  upon  a  second  death-place  of  guanaco,  which 
made  a  scene  strange  and  striking  enough.  There  cannot  have 
been  less  than  five  hundred  lying  there  in  positions  as  forced  and 
ungainly  as  the  most  ill-taken  snapshot  photograph  could  produce. 
Their  long  necks  were  outstretched,  the  rime  of  weather  upon  their 
decaying  hides,  and  their  bone-joints  glistening  through  the  wounds 
made  by  the  beaks  of  carrion-birds.  They  had  died  during  the 
severities  of  the  previous  winter,  and  lay  literally  piled  one  upon 
another  A  brown,  almost  chocolate-coloured,  lagoon  washed 
close  to  the  front  rank  of  the  dead,  and  those  in  the  rearmost  line 
had  evidently  lain  down  to  die  while  in  the  very  act  of  descending 
the  tall  barranca  for  water.  The  mortality  among  guanaco  in  a 
really  hard  winter  is  tremendous.  They  die  in  batches,  absolutely 
in  hundreds.  At  that  season  they  come  down  to  the  lowt-r 
crrounds  for  warmth  and  water.  l)ut  desert  them  in  the  summer 
and  take  to  the  high  pampa,  where,  as  I  have  described  in  another 
place,  the  Indians  hunt  and  slay  them  in  great  numbers  for  ihrir 
pelts.  The  cry  of  the  guanaco  is  a  noise  unique.  It  is  something 
between  a  bleat,  a  laugh,  and  a  neigh.  Often  the  old  »iacho  of  a 
herd  would  come  to  the  high  ground  nearest  to  our  camp,  and  troiii 
it  neigh  defiance  at  us,  while  the  rest  of  the  point  would  salisl\' 
their  curiosity  by  staring  from  a  safer  distance. 


190         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Upon  the  hioh  pampa,  across  which,  bearing  north-west,  we 
passed,  we  found  guanaco  to  be  extraordinarily  plentiful,  and 
fatter  than  any  we  had  hitherto  met  with  in  our  wanderino-s 
through  the  country.  Upon  this  pampa  was  no  firewood  at  all, 
nothing  save  rolling  grass  which  pricked  you  with  minute  thorns, 
so  that  a  walk  through  it  left  your  putties  spined  like  a  porcupine. 
To  stalk  in  this  grass,  where  theguanacos  were  unusually  wild,  and 
long  periods  of  crawling  were  necessary  to  attain  success,  one  had 
to  carry  a  piece  of  guanaco-skin  in  the  left  hand,  which  took  up 
the  grass  spines  that  must  otherwise  have  entered  the  palm  of  the 
liunter. 

Our  first  glimpse  of  Lake  Argentino  was  a  strongly-marked 
and  vivid  picture  as  seen  from  the  rim  of  the  high  pampa  when 
we  surmounted  it.  A  great  eye  of  blue  water — for  the  sun  was 
bright — set  beneath  white  pent-house  brows  of  the  mountain  range. 
A  tremendous  wind  was  blowing  out  of  the  north-west,  and  we 
could  see  the  ereat  southern  lake  was  in  a  turmoil  of  short  and 
angry  seas.  Deep  channels  cut  away  into  the  depths  of  the  Cor- 
dillera at  the  western  end,  and  at  the  eastern  side  the  waters  flowed 
out  into  the  swift  current  of  the  River  Santa  Cruz.  Farther  along 
the  northern  shore  the  canadon  of  the  River  Leona  was  also  visible. 
We  could  not  then  guess  how  glad  we  should  one  day  be  to  reach 
the  haven  of  that  river  mouth.  Beyond  the  lake,  and  partly  sur- 
rounding it,  the  Cordillera  raised  their  jagged  line  of  peaks  against 
the  sky.  From  the  bases  upwards  towards  the  higher  altitudes 
the  mountains  were  black  with  forests.  Three  large  icebergs 
fioated  on  the  water  at  the  farther  side,  one  of  which  had  drifted 
into  shallows  near  the  shore.  No  sign  of  life  was  to  be  observed 
anywhere  in  the  great  hollow  stretching  beneath  us. 

To  my  mind  Argentino  is  a  far  more  beautiful  lake  than  Buenos 
Aires.  After  a  long  look  we  began  to  descend  into  the  lower  land 
by  a  sharp  cleft  that  led  down  into  a  deep  canadon.  It  was,  owing 
to  a  recent  landslip,  a  nasty  piece  of  travelling,  and  the  horses, 
disliking  it,  broke  back  more  than  once,  the  Zaino  ^z^t'/'t?  taking  the 
lead  as  usual. 

Emerging  from  this  cleft  we  came  on  one  of  Nature's  tragedies. 
Upon  the  side   of  the  slope  was  a  guanaco,  fallen  (when   I   first 


n 


Q 

< 


O 


o 

5 
o 


X. 


6 


2 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO  191 

caught  sight  of  it)  upon  its  knees,  and  making  frantic  efforts  tO' 
rise.  Three  huge  condors  were  poised  a  few  feet  above  the  head 
of  the  unfortunate  animal.  I  galloped  towards  them,  and  as  I  came 
near  the  guanaco  fell  over  upon  its  side,  still  moving  conxulsively. 
At  once  one  of  the  condors  lit  on  the  crround  beside  it.  I  cannot 
have  been  more  than  a  minute  approaching,  and  as  I  came  close 
the  condor  rose  into  the  air  to  some  distance.  A  thin  stream  of 
blood  was  trickling  down  the  surface  of  the  rock  upon  which  the 
guanaco  lay,  and  the  poor  creature  was  jerking  its  legs  and  body. 
During  the  moment  which  I  had  taken  to  ride  up  the  condor 
had  torn  out  its  eyes  !  The  guanaco  was  evidently  dying  of  scab, 
and  had  thinned  down  into  a  mere  skeleton. 

I  own  to  a  horror  and  a  loathing"  of  the  condor.  Seen  as["ainst 
the  pale  hue  of  the  sky,  its  stately  flight  and  grand  spread  of 
motionless  wing  made  it  seem  a  noble  bird,  but  near  by  it  shared 
the  repulsive  appearance  of  other  carrion-eaters.  In  size  it  is 
enormous.  I  shot  one  off  Hcllg-ate  measurino-  nine  feet  three  inches 
across  the  outstretched  pinions.  It  rivals  the  vulture  in  its  ability 
to  quickly  discover  and  arrive  upon  the  scene  of  a  feast,  and  is  in 
the  habit  of  gorging  itself  until  it  becomes  ])ractically  powerless, 
and  it  is  possible  to  slay  it  afoot  with  a  stick.  It  is  one  thing  to  be 
well  mounted  (jn  a  i>'ood  h(jrse  and  to  watch,  as  vou  ride  alons",  the 
far  specks  in  the  intense  blue,  or  to  admire  them  wheeling  in  wide 
graceful  circles  with  quiescent  wings,  but  quite  another  aspect  of 
them  would  be  borne  in  upon  you  if  your  horse  chanced  to  stumble, 
and  left  you,  say,  with  a  broken  leg  upon  the  empty  pampa  ;  long 
before  help  might  come,  or,  indeed,  if  you  were  alone,  would  be  at 
all  likely  to  come,  you  would  make  a  terril)ly  close  ac(juaintance 
with  the  methods  a  condor  adopts  when  meat — -be  it  dead  or 
wounded — falls  under  his  power  of  beak  and  claw. 

Patagonia  is  certainly  a  wonderful  country  for  birds  and  beasts- 
of  prey.  You  may  travel  leagues  upon  leagues  and  see  no  sign 
of  life  save  chimangos  i^Milvago  chiuiaiigo),  caranchos  [^Polyborus 
thauj'us),  and  condors  [Sarcorhaniptis  gryphus)  in  the  air  ami 
upon  the  bushes,  and  at  your  feet  the  tracks  of  lion  and  ot  to.x 
and  of  skunk.  Sometimes  this  fact  strikes  you  with  peculiar 
force.      The  landscape  made  up   of  thorn)-  bushes  and  spike  gras.s. 


192         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

jigged  rocks,  and  white  and  grey  slime,  in  which  live  the  puma, 
the  wild-cat,  and  the  fox;  the  air  inhabited  by  birds  of  prey. 
What  do  they  live  upon,  these  creatures,  there  are  so  many  of 
them  ?  How  do  they  eke  out  existence  ?  Sparse  herds  of  guanaco 
(I  am  now  alluding  to  the  sterile  portions  of  the  country,  such  as 
lie  about  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires  and  also  part  of  the 
north  shore  of  Lake  Argentine),  a  few  small  birds,  and  abundant 
rodent  life  of  the  smaller  species — ^that  is  all.  Curiously  enough, 
in  the  richer  lands  of  Patagonia,  it  seemed  to  me  that,  though 
there  was  more  game,  there  were  fewer  birds  and  beasts  of  prey. 

In  the  winter  and  in  the  spring  the  country,  as  far  as  wild  life 
is  concerned,  is  but  a  thin  and  gaunt  place.  Nothing  that  wanders 
carries  any  fat,  for  the  food  has  been  reduced  to  a  minimum.  It 
is  on  this  sterile  battlefield  of  nature  that  livino-  creatures  enter 
into  a  death-grapple  with  the  conditions  of  life,  and  swing  to  and 
fro  in  a  contest  whose  outcome  is  onlv  decided  when  the  dark  davs 
of  storm  are  over  ;  for  at  this  season  the  richer  lands  are  often 
under  snow,  and  it  is  about  the  bare  margins  of  lakes  and  lagoons 
that  the  orame  orathers  and  remains. 

All  the  way  up  the  River  Santa  Cruz  we  were  able  to  recognise 
the  points  marked  and  named  by  Darwin,  until  finally  his  party 
was  forced  through  lack  of  provisions  to  turn  back  just  when  he 
had  arrived  within  reasonable  distance  of  the  great  lake.  He 
named  this  last  prospect  he  looked  out  over  in  Patagonia, 
"  Mystery  Plain."  Now  it  no  longer  is  mysterious,  but  Darwin's 
map  remains  to  this  day  the  best  chart  made  of  the  river. 

His  description  and  his  opinion  of  the  country  are  sufficiently 
dismal,  but  he  passed  through  a  waste  and  empty  land,  before 
colonising  on  the  coasts  had  reached  its  present  state,  or  much  of 
the  country  within  reach  of  the  sea  had  been  partitioned,  as  it  now 
is,  into  sheep  farms.  And  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Santa  Cruz  is  somewhat  sterile,  and  would  be  likely 
to  ofive  a  false  idea  of  Pataoonia  as  a  forbiddini>"  land  to  a  straneer 
who  knew  no  more  of  the  country  than  the  coast  and  this  boulder 
and  sand-strewn  river  valley.  This  cahadon  is,  in  fact,  covered 
with  "lacial  detritus. 

Leaving  the  shore  of  the  lake  well  to  our  right  we  rode  parallel 


o 
o 


D 


O 


y. 

a 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO 


i9:> 


ESTANCIA    OK    MK.    E.    CATTLE 


with  it  for  some  miles,  crossed  the  Rivers  Calafatc  and  de  los 
Perros,  and  finally  arrived  upon  a  peninsula  which  culminates  in 
Mount  Buenos  Aires.  This  peninsula  is  called  the  Burmeister 
Peninsula.  Here,  many  days'  ride  into  the  interior,  and  under  the 
very  shadow  of  the  Andes, 
lives  an  English  pioneer,  Mr. 
Cattle,  whom  we  visited,  and 
who  was  kind  enough  to  help 
me  in  every  way  and  to  give 
us  hospitality. 

Durino-  the  first  ni^ht  we 
spent  upon  the  shores  of  Lake 
Argentino  there  was  a  heavy 
snowfall  on  the  tops  of  the 
nearer  mountains. 

Our  first  move  was  in  the  direction  of  Lake  Rica — so- 
called  locally.  Upon  the  maps  we  had  with  us  it  was  marked 
as  a  separate  lake  connected  by  a  river  with  Lake  Argentino. 
W'e  soon  proved  this  to  be  a  mistake,  the  so-called  Lake  Rica 
being  an  arm  of  the  large  lake,  connected  with  the  parent  \-olume 
•of  water  bv  a  channel  of  considerable  width,  which  is  occasionallv 
blocked,  or  nearly  so.  by  icebergs.  I  should  mention  that  we  had 
left  England  before  the  publication  of  Dr.  Morenos  excellent 
map,  in  which  this  and  many  other  errors  had  already  been  set 
right. 

Takino-  our  horses,  we  made  our  vvav  to  the  south-west  alonir 
the  shores  of  Lake  Rica.  We  were  forced  to  make  detours,  as 
the  steep  banks  were  cut  up  by  innumerable  rifts,  at  the  bottom  of 
nearly  every  one  of  which  streams  of  varying  size  emptied  them- 
selves into  the  fjord.  Heavy  forests  clolhrtl  the  slopes  of  the  hills 
almost  to  the  margin  of  the  water.  \ vx\  little  animal  lift-  was  to 
be  observed.  I  picked  up  a  number  of  iron-ore  stalactites  on  the 
shores  and  also  from  the  mud  of  the  shallow  water  near  them. 
When  approaching  the  (i\\(\  of  this  South  Ijord — as  Lake  Rica 
should  properly  be  called — of  Lake  Argentino  we  cro.ssed  a  x'wvx 
or  rather,  I  should  sa),  a  torrent,  that  after  a  riotous  course  between 
\ery  steep  cliffs    flowed  over  a  rocky  bed   into  the   Soudi    1-jord. 

N 


194         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OK  PATAGONIA 

This  river  would  have  been,  I  should  say,  impassable  at  an  earlier 
date  in  the  season. 

Our  advance  was  finally  stopped  by  cliffs  which  descended 
clear  to  the  water's  edge.  We  camped  on  the  shingle  at  the  foot 
of  the  cliffs  just  short  of  the  spot  where  their  bases  plunged  under 
the  level  of  the  water,  and  all  night  long  we  could  hear  the  rushing 
thunder  of  masses  of  ice  breaking  from  the  parent  glaciers  and 
crashing  down  into  the  fjord. 

The  weather  now  completely  broke  up.  Rain  fell  in  close 
steady  lines  all  across  our  outlook  over  the  western  fjord,  and  the 
drenched  forests  behind  us  tossed  and  creaked  in  the  wind. 
Nothing  more  dismal  and  depressing  can  be  imagined  than  this 
forest-land  dim  with  lowering  skies  and  a  downpour  of  rain. 
For  four  days  the  heavy  rain,  sometimes  mixed  with  sleet, 
continued  to  fall,  and  throuoh  it  we  rode  back  to  the  Burmeister 
Peninsula. 

It  was  upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Argentino  that  a  great  Gaucho, 
perhaps  I  should  say  the  greatest  of  all  Cxauchos,  one  Ascensio 
Brunei,  at  one  time  found  a  hiding-place.  We  visited  the  spot 
later  on,  but  here  I  may  as  well  tell  some  part  of  the  story  of  his 
life.  He  was  very  generally  known  for  many  years  as  the  "Wild 
Man  of  Santa  Cruz,"  and  his  history  was  an  extraordinary  one — 
one  of  those  smears  of  high  and  vivid  colour  which  circumstance 
occasionally  paints  in  upon  the  dull  humdrum  picture  of  the  daily 
life  of  a  district. 

Let  us  set  out  his  antecedents. 

He  and  his  brother  were  Gauchos.  They  lived  in  camp,  and 
were  partners  in  a  small  business.  Cattle,  sheep,  and  horses 
formed  their  stock. 

Once  they  went  together  on  a  long  journey,  and  became 
acquainted  with  a  lady,  whom  we  will  call  Bathsheba.  They  both 
loved  her  ;  yet  she  was  another's. 

The  two  brothers  descended  upon  that  other  and  slew  him. 
Then  they  made  off  with  the  lady  to  the  wilder  districts.  There 
they  quarrelled  about  her.  Ascensio  waited  until  his  brother  hap- 
pened to  be  away  tracking  horses  in  a  particularly  wild  part,  and 
then  he  rounded  up  the  remainder  of  the  stock,  and  he  and  the 


Si 


?f 


JOURNEY  TO  LAKE  ARGENTINO  195 

lady  tied  yet  deeper  into  the  interior,  h'or  a  space  they  covered 
their  tracks  and  escaped  the  brother. 

In  the  course  of  time  the  lady  left  her  lover,  as  ladies  will,  and 
he,  his  brain  tin-ned  l)y  some  strang'e  passion,  went  mad. 

When  we  strike  his  trail  a^ain  he  was  known  as  the  "  Wild 
Man  of  Santa  Cruz." 

He  began  to  steal  horses,  found  the  sport  t<»  his  liking',  and 
stole  more.  I  nable  to  use  or  keep  them,  he  merely  drove  them 
to  some  sleepy  hollow,  where  he  killed  them  in  hundreds.  (We 
once  counted  eighty-three  of  these  skeletons  in  one  ])lace.)  He 
dres.sed  in  the  skins  of  pumas  from  head  to  foot.  His  .saddle  was 
of  puma-skin,  and  armed  only  with  Iwlcadores  he  rano'ed  the  land 
stealing.  His  career  was  a  long  one,  and  he  became  such  a  Gaucho 
as  has  never  been  known.  To-dav  he  mioht  be  heard  of  as  liftinof 
a  dozen  horses  on  the  Santa  Cruz  River  ;  a  week  later  he  was 
spiriting  away  ti'opillas  in  Chubut. 

He  had  the  run  of  300,000  square  miles,  the  whole  of  Patagonia 
was  his  farm,  his  stock  what  he  could  steal. 

You  may  remember  that  I  described  a  meeting  with  Indians, 
a  tribe  who  lived  in  tents  of  truanaco-skins  on  the  River  Mavo. 
The  Wild  Man  paid  them  a  visit,  and  stole  a  hundred  mares  ;  and 
they,  discovering  it,  rode  down  his  trail  and  caught  him.  Ihey 
took  him  alive  and  haled  him  as  a  prisoner  to  the  nearest  settle- 
ment, where  he  was  put  in  gaol. 

He  escaped,  made  straight  back,  and  lilted  another  big  batch 
of  the  Mayo  Indians'  horses. 

Again  they  pursued  him,  but  he  was  fain  to  escape,  being- 
mounted  on  a  very  good  horse.  At  last,  only  one  Indian  continued 
to  hold  on  his  trail,  and  he,  when  he  neared  the  wild  hgurc  clad  in 
puma-skins,  grew  afraid  and  turned  back. 

The  Wild  Man  rode  on.  and  also  out  of  our  story  and  all  human 
ken.  Tliat  was  four  years  ago.  He  has  not  been  hearel  ot  since. 
But  1  dare.say  that  the  Mayo  Indians  coLild  finish  oti  the  story 
with  a  different  endino". 


CHAPTER    XI\^ 

THE   DOWN-STREAM    NAVIGATION    OE   THE    KI\ER    LEON  A 

Boat  necessary  for  farther  exploration — Steam-launch  on  shores  of  Lake 
Viednia  our  only  hope— Start  to  find  her— Difficulty  of  crossing  Santa  Cruz 
River — River  Leona — Old  camp — Hills  and  guanaco-tracks — Lake  Viedma — 
Finding  launch-  Damaged  by  wanderers — Down-stream  trip  discussed — 
Repairing  launch — Our  one  chance  of  penetrating  Cordillera — Risks  of  down- 
stream passage — Gathering  firewood — Cold  work — Launch  oi  Ariel — Aspect  of 
Leona  River — Good  intentions — Califate  fuel — Desolate  evening — Getting  up 
stream— Start  in  bad  weather — Obliged  to  put  back — Second  start — Sucked 
into  current  of  Leona — Bernardo  puts  on  steam — Rain — Stop  for  the  night — 
Dangers  of  Leona  channel — Second  day's  trip — Launch  turns  in  squall — 
Rushing  down  stream — Racing  ahead  of  the  current — Awaiting  the  finish  — 
Reach  after  reach — Rounding  a  cliff^Choice  of  many  channels — Narrow 
passage — Safe — Sup  off  armadillo — "  If." 

As  it  Wcis  impossible  to  make  any  turther  exploration  without  a 
craft  of  some  sort,  I  began  to  cast  about  for  materials  for  boat- 
building or,  rather,  for  boat-repairing.  There  were  a  couple  of 
canvas  boats  on  the  spot,  left  on  the  shore  by  a  Commission  some 
three  years  previously,  with  which  I  thought  perhaps  something 
might  be  clone.  Rut  these,  on  examination,  proved  to  be  so  worn 
with  the  stress  of  weather,  and  when  launched  shipped  so  much 
water,  that  it  seemed  hardly  practical)le  to  use  them  for  our  purpose, 
the  more  especially  as  their  holding  capacity  made  it  impossible  to 
take  more  than  a  small  (juantity  of  provisions. 

I  next  heard  of  a  boat  on  the  River  Santa  Cruz,  but  that  was 
also  in  very  evil  plight,  added  to  which  the  odds  were  against  our 
being  able  to  get  her  up  to  Lake  Argentino,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  River  Santa  Cruz  was  in  llood  and  the  current  more  than 
usually  fierce. 

Note. — The  author  regrets  the  comparative  absence  of  illustration  tt)  this  chapter. 
The  launch  shipped  so  much  water  through  her  broken  plate  and  in  other  ways  tiiat 
tlic  photographs  taken  were  destroyed. 


NAVIGATION  OK    THE   R1\ER  LKONA 


197 


I  have  mentioned  in  an  earlier  chapter  the  boat  which  Dr. 
Moreno  had  durino-  his  last  expedition  in  the  year  1897  brought, 
at  much  cost  and  labour,  to  Lake  X'iedma.  There  lay  our 
hope.      It  was  a  steam-launch,  and  the  Argentine  Commission  had 


i 


\ 


Till;    LAUNCH 
WITH    MK.    CATTI.l':    AND    KKRNARDO   ON    HOARD 


packed  her  up  carefully  and  snugi\-  on  tlic  shore  ;  Ijul,  akhough 
we  knew  nothing  ol  her  prcsciu  condition,  we  were  aware  that  the 
chances  against  her  remaining  undisturl)ed  lor  that  period  of  time 
were  small,  as  Lake  Viedma  is  not  ditiicult  of  access,  and  in  all 
probability  wandering  l)ands  ot  Indians  or  Ciauchos  had  got  at  the 
boat,  stripped  off  her  covering  of  canxas,  and  looted  such  of  her 
contents  as  seemed  to  possess  an\   \  alue  in  their  eyes. 

However  that  might  be,  this  launch  apj)earcd  to  be  our  only 
rrsource,  and  I  was  lucky  indeed  to  ha\'e  been  given  leaxc  lo  use 
her  if  necessary  On  my  speaking  to  Cattle  on  the  matter,  he  was 
kind  enougli  to  offer  to  accoinj)an\'  me.  laii'burN'  possessed  a 
trood    knowled':{e   ot    en<>ineerini>'.    which    would    be    of    in\'alual)lc 


198         THROUGH    THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

service  to  us,  and,  as  it  happened,  Hernardo,  in  the  course  of  his 
adventurous  career,  had  had  some  experience  in  the  eno-ine-rooni 
of  a  Brazilian  steamer. 

So  on  I'ebruary  15  we  set  out  for  Lake  V^iedma,  with  the  idea 
of  bringing"  the  launch,  if  possible,  down  the  River  Leona,  which 
is  the  connecting"  waterway  between  the  Lakes  Viedma  and 
Aro'entino. 

To  travel  from  our  starting'  point  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Buenos 
Aires  to  Lake  Viedma  it  was  necessary  to  skirt  Lake  Argentino 
until  the  southern  outlet  of  the  Leona  was  reached,  and  then  to 
follow  that  rix^er  to  its  source  in  Lake  Viedma.  The  distance  was 
about  ei'>"htv  miles  more  or  less,  and  included  the  fordin""  of  the 
River  Santa  Cruz. 

Our  party  was  made  up  of  four  men  and  twenty-one  horses, 
and  upon  one  of  the  packs  we  took  a  light  canvas  collapsible  boat 
and  a  pair  of  oars  with  which  to  negotiate  the  Santa  Cruz. 

On  the  following  evening  we  arrived  on  its  southern  bank. 
There  we  found  an  old  Commission  boat  that  was  used  as  a  ferr\",  but 
it  was  beached,  with  the  usual  contrarietv  of  thinos,  on  the  wronu- 
side  of  the  stream,  which  is  trom  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  yards  W'ide  at  this  spot  and  runs  with  a  swilt  current. 
Many  a  Gaucho  has  lost  his  life  in  attempting"  to  cross  lower  down. 

Next  morning  it  w^as  still  dark  when  the  plume  of  smoke  rose 
from  our  camp-fire  of  califate-wood,  and  as  we  sat  roimd  it  waiting 
for  the  asado  to  cook,  we  smoked  (a  bad  habit  when  indulged  in 
before  breakfast,  against  which  one  would  warn  everybody  else) 
and  drank  iiiatc.  It  was  a  cool  dawn  I  remember  that  developed 
later  into  a  hot  day.  We  put  the  colla|)sible  boat  together,  and 
Cattle,  after  a  mishap  with  a  rowlock,  brought  the  old  and  leak\- 
fordd:)oat  across,  as  we  needed  her  to  transport  our  baggage.  We 
piled  the  cargo  into  her,  and  such  weak  places  as  we  could  deal 
with  we  strengthened. 

The  theory  was  to  take  the  filly  through  the  river  behind  the 
boat,  trusting  that  the  old  black  bell-mare  would  follow  her  olt- 
spring,  and  the  troop  in  its  turn  hallow  the  mare,  as  had  occurred 
on  the  occasion  of  our  former  crossinof  ot  the  river  near  the  settle- 
ment  of  Santa  Cruz. 


NAVIGATION  OF  THE  RIVER  LEONA  199 

So  we  dragged  the  reluctant  and  much-protesting  hll\-  clow  n  U) 
the  riverside,  conveyed  the  boat  a  few  hundred  yards  up-stream, 
and  then  Bernardo  and  I  got  aboard  and  shoved  off.  I  had  ])ut  a 
collar  round  the  fill\-'s  neck,  and  by  this  supported  her  in  the  wake 
of  the  boat.  All  would  have  gone  well  had  not  one  of  the  row- 
locks, worn  by  weather  and  worm-eaten,  struck  work  and  smashed. 
Left  with  but  one  oar  the  current  took  char^'e  of  us.  Soon  the 
unfortunate  fillv  beoan  to  turn  over  in  the  water  like  a  Catherine- 
wheel,  and  I  was  unable  to  help  her  much,  as  I  was  holding 
a  rowlock  in  place  with  one  hand  and  supporting  the  hlly  with 
the  other.  Eventually  we  were  obliged  to  put  back,  and  were 
lucky  enough  to  make  the  south  bank  just  in  time,  for  at  that  part 
of  the  shore  there  is  but  a  small  stretch  upon  which  it  is 
possible  to  land  ;  immediately  below  high  cliffs  descend  sheer  to 
the  water. 

After  this  we  resolved  to  drive  the  troop  over  before  us,  but 
although  they  had  had  a  long-journey  experience  of  river-crossing, 
they  did  not  care  to  face  the  Santa  Cruz.  In  spite  ot  our  efforts 
thev  broke  back  five  or  six  times.  Once  we  nearlv  had  them  in 
the  water,  when  the  little  Zaino  got  away  and  galloped  iip  the 
bank.  At  last,  however,  by  dint  of  bellowing  and  brandishing  oars 
or  anything  that  came  handy,  we  succeeded  in  convincing  them 
that  the  south  shore  of  the  Santa  Cruz  had  become  unhealthy 
to  remain  upon,  and  so  they  swam  over.  We  started  at  once 
with  a  boatful  of  o-ear,  and  landed  barelv  in  time  to  defeat  the 
ambitious  intentions  of  the  leading  spirits  of  the  trooj),  who  on 
getting  out  of  the  water  decided  to  make  off  and  regain  a  lilr  ot 
freedom. 

As  soon  as  we  got  the  baggage  over  we  saddled-up  and  rode 
through  a  very  sand\-  tract  of  land,  and  by  evening  made  our 
camp  under  a  bare  hillside  1)\'  the  Rix'er  Leona. 

I  believe  that  a  German  expedition  had  once  encamj)ed  there. 
Both  wheat  and  beans  were  growing  near  the  long-deserted  camp- 
fire.  No  doubt  the  seed  had  fallen  from  some-  of  llu-  provision- 
bags  of  the  Germans.  There  was  also  a  miniature  corral  lornuii 
of  bushes. 

On   the   next   da\    we   made    a  verv  long  anil   tiresome  manh. 


200         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

whi(.h  led  us  into  more  than  one  difficult  place.  We  rode  on 
leaoLie  after  league  over  the  worst  sort  of  o-round.  including-  the 
descent  of  two  or  three  really  bad  barrancas.  Bernardo,  who 
acted  as  o-uicie.  became  shy  after  awhile  of  telling  us  that  Lake 
Vied  ma  lay  only  two  leagues  ahead.  As  the  day  wore  on  we 
rather  pressed  the  question,  and  he  grew  correspondingly  coy  in 
his  replies. 

One  of  the  barrancas  led  us  into  a  sort  of  maze  of  conical  mud 
hills,  confusedly  huddled  together.  Through  them  lay  a  tangle  ot 
guanaco-tracks,  which  mostly  ended  on  the  tops  of  the  hills.  The 
troop  followed  these  tracks  in  various  directions,  and  you  were 
surprised  at  all  points  by  the  starded  faces  of  the  horses  glaring 
down  at  you  over  unexpected  bluffs.  The  going  was  very  heavy, 
and  deep  holes  betrayed  the  horses'  feet.  Altogether  it  was  some 
time  before  the  troop  was  put  through. 

Late  in  the  evening  we  reached  the  shores  of  Lake  V^iedma, 
and  found  the  launch.  She  was  Iving  behind  a  bare  and  very  low 
promontory.  The  Commission  which  had  used  her  three  years 
previously  had  packed  her  up  with  care  in  canvas  and  raised  her 
on  rollers.  But  I  was  sorry  to  find  that  needless  and  wanton  damage 
had  been  inflicted  upon  her  by  some  roving  passers-by.  They  had 
torn  off  the  canvas  covering  and  appropriated  many  important 
tools,  including  quite  a  number  that  could  have  been  of  no  possible 
use  to  any  save  a  party  meaning  to  use  the  launch  herself.  A  few 
of  these  missing  details  we  picked  up  in  the  adjacent  bushes, 
where  the  irresponsible  unknowns  had  thrown  them. 

As  to  the  condition  of  the  boat,  her  three-years  sojourn  on  an 
isolated  beach  had  not  improved  it.  Her  boiler  was  in  rather  a 
bad  state  with  rust,  and  one  of  her  plates  was  cracked.  Originally 
built  for  a  pleasure-launch,  the  Argentine  Commission  had  raised 
her  f>"unwales  and  decked  her  in  ;  without  these  alterations  she  could 
not  have  lived  in  the  rough  waters  of  the  lakes  of  Patagonia. 

The  evening  and  the  surrounding  scenery  were  equally  grey 
and  depressing,  but  with  an  ostrich,  and  a  guanaco  I  had  shot 
in  the  morning,  we  made  oin-selves  very  comfortable  round  the 
fire,   while  we   talked    over  our   contem]:)lated    voyage    down    the 


NAVIGATION  OK  THE  RIVER  LEONA  20 r 

Leona.  Cattle,  whose  knowledge  of  the  subject  under  considera- 
tion was  of  immense  help,  agreed  with  me  in  thinkin;^'  llic  thing- 
could  be  done. 

Next  day  Burbury,  who  was,  as  I  have  said,  a  very  fair  engineer, 
set  to  work  with  Bernardo's  help  to  get  the  launch  into  working 
order,  while  the  rest  of  us  went  to  cut  and  gather  fuel. 

The  two  canvas  boats  which  beloncred  to  the  launch  were  later 
found  a  couple  of  leagues  down  the  shore,  but  a  bit  of  wind  began 
to  blow,  so  it  was  impossible  to  bring  them  up,  and  in  the  event 
they  had  to  be  left  where  they  were. 

In  making  ready  the  launch  Burbury  was  much  hampered  by 
hax'ing  onl\-  a  small  supply  of  screws  to  draw  upon.  Time  and 
exposure  had  dealt  hardh'  with  her,  her  pump  was  strained  as  well 
as  being  imperfect,  some  portion  of  it  having  been  taken  away. 
The  craft  was  about  thirty-five  feet  long  with  a  displacement  of 
about  three  parts  of  a  ton.  She  was  by  no  means  an  ideal  boat 
for  the  kind  of  navigation  that  lay  before  us,  for  which  a  good 
wooden  craft  would  have  been  much  more  safe  and  handy.  Had 
her  length  been  less  it  would  have  been  another  advantage,  as  the 
seas  upon  the  lakes  are  very  short.  Weather-worn  as  she  was, 
however,  she  represented  our  sole  chance  of  getting  really  deep 
into  the  unpenetrated  Cordillera.  It  was  a  case  of  take  it  or  leave 
it,  and  which  of  the  two  it  was  to  be  gave  me  some  thought  that 
ni":ht. 

I  could  not  conceal  from  myself  that  it  was  a  peculiarK  risky 
affair  taking  her  down  the  River  Leona.  The  up-stream  navigation 
of  the  river  had  been  made  bv  the  launch  when  the  Cnmmis- 
sion  brought  her  up-stream,  towing  her  through  the  diflicult 
places  from  the  bank.  But  that,  of  course,  was  a  very  ditlerent 
matter. 

The  Leona  is  a  comparatively  large  river,  very  cold,  and  running, 
wli'  n  in  flood,  from  five  to  eight  knots  an  hour,  with,  in  j)lacc-s.  a 
verv  stron''  rip.  There  are  a  good  manv  rocks  and  shoals,  but  at 
the  time  I  write  of  the  water  was  high,  snow-fed  by  the  warmili  of 
the  preceding  months,  and  therefore  with  luck  we  mi.nht  hope  to 
slij)    over    most   of    the  reefs   in   .safet\ .         This   was   lorlunate.  as 


202         THROUGH    IHE  HEART  OK  PATAGONIA 

what  with  the  cold,  the  eddies  and  the  cross-currents  the  chance  of 
a  swimmer  reaching  the  bank  was  not  great. 

Should  the  current,  however,  get  the  launch  broadside  on,  we 
would  have  to  give  her  full  sieam  ahead,  and  charge  down  the 
unknown  and  rock-set  river.  Besides,  the  channel  was,  we  knew, 
very  hard  to  follow,  for  among  the  islands  the  stream  divided  into 
four  or  five  arms,  and  we  had  no  guide  to  help  us  to  choose  the 
main  channel. 

The  risks  were  very  real  and  looked  large  enough  in  my  eyes 
that  nio-ht,  but  in  case  I  should  be  char(>-ed  with  foolhardiness  in 
deciding  to  carry  out  our  design,  I  think  I  may  say  that  the 
average  man  would  have  decided  as  we  did.  Few,  after  so 
many  weary  miles  and  months,  coming  at  last  to  such  a  crucial 
moment,  would  very  closely  consider  the  risks,  since  outside  of 
running  them  the  single  course  open  was  to  turn  back  deleated, 
leaving  one  of  the  most  interesting  unexplored  portions  of  the 
Cordillera  unvisited  and  untrodden. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  day  or  two  we  worked  hard  at  the 
launch  and  in  gathering  firewood.  On  the  i8th  we  got  the  boat 
afloat  after  ei^ht  hours  of  hard  labour,  for  durino-  her  three  vears 
rest  she  had  sunk  deep  into  the  shingle  and  sand.  It  was  quite 
impossible  to  use  the  horses,  as  they  would  not  pull  forward  into 
the  lake,  and  thus  into  the  water,  so  we  got  at  the  work  our- 
selves. About  mid-day  a  wind  sprang  up,  and  the  water,  fed  by 
the  melting  snows,  was  perishingly  cold.  It  seemed  for  a  time  as 
if  we  should  never  succeed  in  getting  her  afloat,  and  as  we  had  not 
been  able  to  bring  up  either  of  the  canvas  boats,  wading  was  very 
much  the  order  of  the  day,  and  after  every  few  stretches  of  work 
we  were  uncommonly  glad  to  take  spells  in  the  sleeping-bags  to 
warm  our  half-fiozen  limbs.  Hot  cocoa,  also,  was  kept  going  from 
time  to  time. 

At  length  we  got  her  off  into  the  little  shallow  bay.  where 
the  waves  were  breaking,  for  a  wind  was  rising  out  of  the  north- 
west. 

Duriu''-  the  dav  Cattle  and  I  went  down  and  viewed  the 
Leona.  We  fixed  upon  a  little  backwater  some  distance  down 
stream,  where  wood  was  abundant,  as  the  goal  of  our  first  venture. 


"5 


V  ■< 

/ 


11 


CzJ 


1^ 


\ 


NAVIGATION  OF  THE  RI\'ER  LKONA  203 

The  river  had  swollen  and  was  rising,  and  the  current  looked 
menacing,  but  we  thought  that  with  great  care  and  slow  movement 
we  might  bring  the  launch  throuoh  all  riL-ht.  Care  and  slow  move- 
ment !  We  did  not  foresee  to  what  an  extent  the  elements  were 
destined  to  take  charge  of  our  affairs. 

Our  plan  was  to  descend  the  river  stern -first  with  only  enough 
steam  to  enable  the  boat  to  answer  her  tiller  ;  for  fuel  we  had  no 
choice  but  to  burn  wood,  and  although  califate  made  no  bad  hrine. 
still  the  results  to  be  expected  were  not  by  any  means  the  same  as 
if  we  had  been  able  to  put  coal  into  the  furnace. 

In  the  evening  the  horses  strayed,  and  I  went  t(j  hv\n<j:  them 
in.  Tiie  landscape  on  this  side  of  Viedma  is  the  most  desolate 
imaginable,  being  made  up  chiefly  of  sand,  sparse  yellow  grass, 
low  thorn-bushes,  and  the  skeletons  of  dead  game.  It  is  a  place 
only  fit  to  die  in,  a  fact  the  guanacos  seem  to  have  grasped, 
for  their  bones  lay  all  over  the  ground  in  far  greater  pro- 
fusion even  than  upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires.  The 
mountains  about  Viedma  ditler  in  outline  from  most  of  the  other 
ranges  in  Patagonia  The  peaks  are  more  pointed  and  rise  agains: 
the  cold  sky  in  a  line  of  pinnacles  and  minarets. 

My  way  led  me  along  the  banks  of  the  Leona.  It  was  a  grey 
and  miserable  afternoon  vercringr  towards  eveninof,  and  the  strong 
wind  was  sending  a  large  volume  of  water  racing  and  moaning 
between  the  bare  and  treeless  banks  of  the  river.  I  remember 
thinkinof  with  oreat  lono'ino'  of  warm  and  comfortable  England, 
of  good  friends  and  true,  of  home,  and  of  all  the  many  small 
things  which  make  life  worth  having.  I  suppose  every  one  is 
attacked  with  this  kind  of  feeling  sometimes.  Not  very  often, 
luckil)',  nor  when  the  sun  is  shining,  biit  on  these  miserable,  grey, 
whimpering  evenings  everything  takes  on  a  sombre  shade. 

I  found  the  horses  collected  in  a  ri)ito)i,  beneath  the  shelter 
of  a  few  thorn-bushes  ;  they  were  looking  ver\-  forlorn,  especially 
the  AlazcUi,  who  was  etched  out  darkly  against  the  bleak  sky. 
They  seemed  a  bit  tucked  up  too  after  the  tiring  marches  ol  the 
previous  days. 

We  hoped  to  start  in  the  launch  on  the  following  morning. 
When  we  woke  it  was  still    blowing-  half  a  galf.       1.  however,  told 


'.-,      .>-v' 


204         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Bernardo  to  get  up  steam,  and  we  put  the  baggage  aboard,  and  as 
the  boat  had  no  name  we  christened  her  the  Ariel.  She  was 
given  other  names  before  we  were  done  with  her! 

Burbury  was  to  take  the  horses  by  the  banks  of  the  river,  while 
we  steamed  down  the  channel.  It  was  blowing  pretty  strong  when 
all  w^as  ready,  and  Bernardo,  to  inaugurate  the  start,  raised  a  feeble 
whistle,  thereby  seriously  diminishing  the  amount  of  steam  in  the 
boiler.  The  Ariel  got  under  way  with  some  wheezing  and  groan- 
ing, and  soon  we  were  heaving  up  and  down,  head  to  swell.  The 
waves  were  all  breaking,  and  the  seas  short,  with  the  consequence 
that  we  had  several  duckings.  Presently,  however,  the  wind  lulled 
and  I  thoucrht  all  was  about  to  oo  well  with  us. 

But  soon  I  noticed  that  the  figure  of  Burbury,  standing  upon 
the  shore,  remained  ominously  stationary.  The  wind  was  rising 
again,  two  or  three  heavy  seas  broke  over  us,  and  the  launch 
would  not  answer  her  tiller.  Bernardo  shouted  that  the  boiler  was 
leaking,  and  it  looked  as  if  we  should  soon  be  in  trouble. 

Ultimately  we  were  obliged  to  put  back  into  the  bay,  which 
we  managed  with  difficulty,  and  there  anchored. 

We  determined  to  try  again  to-morrow,  and  then  got  up  the 
tent  and  turned  in. 

On  the  morrow  the  wind  had  dropped  somewhat,  though  the 
lake  was  still  white  with  breakers.  We  had  a  mat(^  by  the  fire  on 
the  promontory  and  prepared  to  start  again.  It  was  9.30  when 
all  was  ready,  and  by  that  time  the  Cordillera  was  shut  out  by  a 
big  purple  rain-cloud.  As  the  rain  began  to  fall  we  took  our 
places  and  heaved  in  the  anchor. 

We  started  at  one  knot  full  steam  ahead,  and  the  ^7'/<?/ creaked 
as  she  crept  out  into  the  lake.  The  rain  and  mist  from  the 
direction  of  the  Cordillera  had  blotted  out  all  sight  of  them,  and 
were  beating  down  on  us  steadily.  The  rain,  however,  was  in 
reality  favourable  to  our  attempt,  as  it  served  to  smooth  the  water. 
The  short  waves  leaped  up  under  every  puff  of  wind,  but  the 
launch  ran  along  past  the  mouth  of  the  river,  attaining  to  a  quite 
respectable  speed  as  she  proceeded. 

A  nast\-  little  squall  struck  us  for  a  moment  as  we  were  broad- 
side on,  hut  it  passed,  and  then,  with  her  nose  pointed   toward  the 


NAVIGATION  OF  THE  RIVKR  LEONA  205 

Cordillera,  the  launch  described  a  large  circle,  and  we  alKjwed  her 
to  be  slowly  sucked  stern  first  into  the  power  of  the  fierce  current 
of  the  Leona.  At  length  it  L;ot  hold  of  her,  and.  adopting-  a 
cautious  policy,  we  gave  her  full  speed  ahead  against  the  current, 
which  had  the  effect  of  letting  us  drop  down  stream  at  about  two 
knots  an  hour. 

Just  before  we  entered  the  rip  of  the  current  I  saw  a  rock  a 
couple  of  feet  off  on  the  starboard  side  ;  it  was  only  a  few  inches 
under  the  surface,  but  luckily  we  slipped  by  without  harm.  We 
got  on  pretty  well  in  this  fashion  through  the  whole  afternoon  ;  it 
was  raining  pitilessly  all  the  time.  Bernardo,  who  was  acting  as 
engineer,  at  one  period  ran  the  engine  at  a  pressure  of  30  lb.  above 
safety,  until  it  was  explained  to  him  that,  if  he  continued  doing  so, 
it  was  probable  he  would  see  Sweden  no  more. 

Towards  evening  the  weather  cleared  into  the  most  lovely  blue 
afternoon,  and  we  camped  for  the  night  at  the  spot  we  had  before 
chosen,  having  some  fifteen  miles  of  our  voyage  behind  us.  We 
pitched  the  tent  and  I  crawled  into  it  and  lit  a  pipe  with  a  \  i\  id 
question  in  my  mind  as  to  when  I  should  do  so  again.  You  could 
hear  the  river  growling  and  gulping  at  its  banks.  I  felt  I  had 
never  before  realised  how  warm  and  comfortable  that  little  tent 
was.  The  next  day  would  decide  the  success  of  our  expedition  or 
otherwise,  and  all  the  worst  of  the  river  lay  before  us.  I  cannot 
deny  that  I  disliked  the  thought  of  the  morrow.  Familiarity  with 
the  River  Leona  is  not  apt  to  breed  contempt.  Its  channel 
was  m^ide  up  of  sharj)  bends  and  curves,  and  if  the  launch  I)\- 
any  untoward  accident  were  to  swing  round,  we  should  be  torced 
to  steam  faster  than  the  current,  and  at  that  speed  she  woukl 
certainly  split  herself  from  stem  to  stern  it  she  touched.  Besides, 
she  answered  her  helm  badl)-,  and  the  river  in  places  was  very 
narrow. 

l)Ut,  for  all  this,  our  success  so  far  had  had  its  effect,  and  we 
resumed  our  voyage  next  morning  in  high  spirits.  W  v.  began  by 
negotiating  a  nasty  passage  among^the  rocks  with  neatnes.s.  The 
river  then  became  very  erratic  and  winding  in  its  course,  and 
almost  at  once  the  current  cau^-ht  us,  and  it  seemed  as  it  some 
gigantic    hand    were    pushing  the   panting    launch   slowly    round. 


2o6         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Steering-  was  no  easy  matter,  she  was  canted  badly,  and  we 
discarded  some  of  our  heavy  clothes,  raw  as  the  air  was,  preferring 
the  cold  to  tlie  chance  of  sinking  should  anything  happen. 

In  places  the  rip  was  very  strong  and  the  curving  ])earl-grey 
water  gave  but  a  poor  opportunity  of  observing  any  rocks  that 
might  lie  in  our  course.  We  were  by  this  time  able  to  manage 
the  launch  better  and  were  beginning  to  understand  more  or  less 
her  special  peculiarities. 

Then  the  dreaded  event  came  to  pass.  We  were  sagging 
down  with  about  yo  lb.  of  steam  in  the  boiler,  when  a  heavy 
squall,  which  had  long  been  brooding  darkly  over  the  Cordillera, 
rushed  suddenly  upon  us.  The  launch,  under  the  fury  of  the 
wind,  turned  almost  broadside  on  to  the  current,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  give  her  her  head. 

Bernardo,  who  had  had  his  orders  as  to  what  to  do  in  case 
such  an  eventuality  occurred,  flung  open  the  furnace-door  and 
piled  on  wood  to  get  a  heavy  head  of  steam  on.  The  Ariel's 
powers  had  much  improved  with  use,  and  she  was  able  to  race 
along  ahead  of  the  current,  a  fact  which  gave  her  steerage- way. 

"  She's  steerino-  a  bit  better,"  shouted  Cattle  ;  "  if  Bernardo  can 
keep  up  the  pressure  it  may  be  all  right."  Bernardo,  evidently 
feeline  that  the  moment  needed  commemoration,  blew  the  whistle 
and  grinned. 

Now  that  she  was  turned  prow- first,  any  attempt  to  get  the  boat 
back  to  her  old  position  would  have  been  more  risky  than  to  go 
forward,  for  the  river  at  this  part  was  much  narrower  and  the  current 
proportionately  more  rapid.  Bernardo  poked  his  head  up  from  the 
engine-hatch  and  laughed,  "She  go  fine  this  way,"  he  remarked. 
At  the  moment  a  rock  glimmered  up  close  to  the  bows,  but  we 
slipped  over  it  with  a  few  inches  to  spare. 

There  was  now  no  straining  and  grunting  from  the  engines  as 
there  had  been  while  we  were  battling  against  the  current.  You 
barely  felt  the  throb  and  vibration,  and  it  was  only  when  you 
looked  at  the  banks  that  you  realised  how  swiftly  the  boat  was 
rushing  onward^;.  Perhaps  we  achieved  seventeen  knots.  The 
shores  slid  by. 

We  were  now  shut  in  in  a  world  of  our  own,  whose  boundaries 


NAVIGATION  OF  THE  RIVER  LEONA 


207 


were  the  curving"  banks  and  the  reaches  of  the  river  as  they  opened 
out  in  front  of  us.  One's  senses  were  too  much  occupied,  one's 
ner\cs  too  much  on  the 
stretch  to  be  aware  of 
anything  beyond.  We, 
the  hiunch  and  the  river 
were  playing  a  gigantic 
oamble,  in  which  the 
stakes  on  our  part  were 
perilously  heavy.  This 
continued  to  be  for  five 
minutes  one's  most  pro- 
minent idea.  It  was  very 
exciting,  for  we  had  no- 
thing to  do  but  await 
developments. 

Very  soon,  however, 
this  feelino-  wore  off.  It 
seems  that  a  very  strong- 
emotion  cannot  in  the 
nature  of  things  last  long. 
Undoubtedly  cesf  le pi'c- 
viier  pas  qui  coilte.  I 
looked  round  and  saw 
the  other  two  grinning. 

At  the  pace  we  were  then  going  our  voyage  was  not  likely  to 
last  more  than  four  hours.  This  was  a  rough  calculation  allowing 
for  the  windinu^s  of  the  river  that  lav  between  us  and  Lake 
Argentino.  We  afterwards  found  that  we  ran  the  distance  in 
three  and  a  half  hours,  but  they  passed  like  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
1  do  not  suppose  that  any  suicide  club  has  <;vc'r  iinented  a  more 
acute  form  of  excitement. 

We  rarely  saw  half  a  mile  in  front  of  us.  At  first  the 
banks  were  low  and  ihe  coarse  grass  upon  ihcni  blew  kwkX  shook 
against  the  pale  bkie  of  the  sky-rim,  but  soon  they  began  to 
gi\e  place  to  high  and  rocky  slopes.  Now  and  llim  one  caught 
the  g^litter  of  a  submergred  rock.     The  wind  and  the  current  made 


BliKNAKUO    ll.UlANSKN 


2o8         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

the  main  channel  difficult  in  follow  with  the  eye,  and  round  several 
corners  we  were  positively  feelino-  for  it. 

In  places  it  seemed  as  if  the  launch  were  running"  into  an  impasse, 
and  at  such  times  it  was  necessary  to  send  her  along  at  her  highest 
pressure  in  order  to  ha\-e  the  more  command  of  the  tiller.  We 
would  rush  down  upon  such  a  place,  and  not  until  we  were  within 
forty  yards  would  the  river  open  out  grey  and  shining,  the  helm  be 
put  over,  and  we  find  ourselves  Hying  clown  another  reach.  We 
always  kept  to  the  rip,  and  by  so  doing  attempted  to  follow  the 
main  channel. 

About  midway  down  the  river  came  some  more  difficult  places 
where  the  cliffs  narrowed.  One  of  these  gave  us  a  curious  experi- 
ence for  the  water  seemed  to  absolutely  go  downhill,  so  steep  was 
the  angle  of  incline.  Before  reaching  this  spot  we  had  come  in 
sight  of  the  top  of  the  cliff  that  overhung  it,  and  whose  base,  we 
could  judge  by  the  line  of  the  channel,  must  be  washed  by  the  water. 
On  turning  a  corner  we  came  within  full  view  of  the  place,  and  a 
strange  view  it  was.  The  river  appeared  to  race  downhill  and  to 
end  in  a  froth  of  yeasty  foam  at  the  foot  of  the  towering  black 
bluff.  Look  as  we  might,  we  could  not  see  any  way  out  of  that 
tumbled  smother  of  water  ;  we  knew  there  must  be  one,  of  course, 
but  the  question  was  in  which  direction  did  it  lie.  There  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  pile  on  fuel  to  make  the  boat  answer 
handily. 

The  sun  striking  obliquely  on  the  river  dazzled  our  eyes  and 
turned  all  our  forward  course  into  a  golden  splendour.  We  knew 
that  somewhere  lower  down  the  river  there  was  a  bad  place  where 
its  bed  was  thick-set  with  rocks,  but  we  had  no  idea  how  soon  we 
might  come  upon  the  spot.  Presently,  as  we  drew  rapidly  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  cliff  face,  it  became  evident  that  the  channel  bent 
very  sharply  to  starboard,  and  that  we  should  ha\e  uncommonly 
little  room  to  turn  in.  We  were  now  running  in  shadow,  the  high 
banks  having  blotted  out  the  suii.  We  rushed  on  towards  the  cliff, 
and  almost  at  the  last  moment  saw  that  the  channel  bent  away  to 
the  right  ;  Cattle  put  the  helm  hard  over,  and  our  craft  whirled 
round  the  point  with  small  space  to  spare,  and  we  found  ourselves 
snakino-  throui-h  the  eddies  of  another  reach. 


NAVIGATION  OF  THl-:   RIVER  LEONA  209 

We  shouted  to  each  other  that  the  worst  of  it  lav  behind  us. 
and  such  for  a  time  seemed  to  be  the  case,  the  river  widenin^r  out 
to  about  eiijhtv  yards  across.  Here  the  main  channel  was  clearlv 
marked.  It  might  be  supposed  that  we  should  have  taken  this 
opportunity  to  turn  the  launch  into  her  original  position,  but  we 
had  twice  during  the  morning-  been  in  difficulties  with,  the  punip, 
which,  as  the  injector  would  not  work,  was  our  sole  means  of  filling 
the  boiler.  I  was  afraid  that  the  strain  of  steaming  against  the 
current  might  prove  too  much  for  the  launch.  The  decision  to  go 
on  without  turning  her  was,  I  tliink,  under  the  circumstances,  the 
right  one,  the  more  so  as  directly  after  the  descent  of  the  river 
the  punip  became  further  strained,  with  the  result  that  it  was 
impossible  to  refill  the  boiler  save  b\   hand. 

Presently  the  hilly  shores  once  mc^re  ga\e  place  to  low  banks, 
and  islands  began  to  appear  in  the  stream.  The  lower  river  has 
many  of  these  groups  of  flat  islands  cox'ered  with  stones  and 
coarse  grass.  When  we  got  in  among  them  the  river  broke  up 
into  a  dozen  channels  which  all  looked  alike.  We,  of  course,  chose 
the  largest.  Again  it  branched.  Again  we  chose  the  largest,  and 
again. 

At  length  the  channel  we  were  following,  instead  of  oj)ening  off 
into  the  main  river,  subdivided  into  a  couple  of  very  small  streams. 
The  current  was  as  strong  as  ever,  and  the  depth  of  water 
appeared  to  be  about  three  feet.  A  small  crested  grebe  was  utter- 
ing its  peculiar,  melancholy  cry.  Ahead  the  banks  seemed  to 
draw  to""ether  to  a  jutting  corner,  bevond  which  we  could  not  see. 
Cattle  was  at  the  helm.  I  was  standing  up  on  the  fore-hatch  trying 
to  catch  si<rht  of  what  we  were  coming  to. 

All  this  time  we  could  not  slacken  speed,  for  the  current  tore 
along  and  we  outdid  the  current.  The  water  had  the  same  strange 
appearance  of  running  downhill  ;  it  seemed  to  drop  away  I  re  mi  us 
at  an  extraordinary  angle.  The  force  of  the  current  forced  us  to 
keep  steam  uj)  to  a  high  degree  of  pressure,  up  to  45  lb.,  which 
was  15  lb.  beyond  safety. 

At  this  point  the  stream  was  not  above  eighteen  feet  wide,  and 
we  could  almost  touch  the  banks  on  cither  sitle.  Wr  were  now 
about  half-way  downhill,  so  to  speak.       riic  rush  ot   the  water,  the 


2IO         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

zipp  of  the  wind  as  it  swept  past  our  ears  minoled  with  the  cry  of 
the  astonished  waterfowl  Nearer  and  nearer,  clear  water  showed 
under  the  left  bank,  and  in  a  moment  more  we  had  swept  round 
the  corner  of  rock  and  out  into  the  main  channel  of  the  river  once 
more.  We  flew  along  in  the  strong  rip,  the  launch  shook  and 
quivered,  and  we  discovered  with  joy  that  we  had  gained  the 
wide  lower  reaches. 

Our  troubles  were  at  an  end  for  the  day.  A  dozen  miles 
still  lay  before  us,  but  in  fair  and  open  water.  In  due  time  we 
recognised  a  big  stone  which  marked  the  site  of  our  old  camp 
vvhere  we  had  rested  on  the  way  up.  We  secured  the  launch 
a  little  way  below  it,  where  the  Leona  enters  Lake  Argentino. 

After  landing  we  pitched  the  tent  and  sat  down  to  talk  it  all 
over.  In  the  meantime  we  cooked  and  ate  an  armadillo,  which 
Burbury  had  caught  on  the  previous  day.  It  tasted  very  like 
sucking-pig. 

Then  a  curious  thing  happened.  The  launch,  which  was 
bumping  slightly  at  her  anchorage,  had  to  be  moved,  and  going 
on  board  we  found  that  the  pump  had  again  struck  work,  as  it  did 
on  many  subsequent  occasions.  One  could  not  help  thinking  what 
the  result  might  have  been  if  it  had  broken  down  a  little  earlier  in 
the  day.  What  a  wonderful  word  that  little  "  if"  is  !  Two  letters 
long,  but  it  may  mark  the  distance  from  pole  to  pole,  the  difference 
between  life  and  death. 

That  night  a  series  of  heavy  squalls  blew  out  of  the  west.  Wc 
lay  in  the  tent  and  listened  to  the  wind  with  the  luxurious  feeling 
that  comes  of  good  shelter. 


CHAPTER   XV 

A    HARD    STRUGGLE 

Running  an  ostrich  with  dogs — Crossing  Santa  Cruz  River — Horses  trouble- 
some— Lose  my  way — Launch  refitted — Diary  of  rough  days — Crossing  the 
bar — Nasty  predicament — Wreck  imminent — Storm  —  Ascensio's  Bay  — 
Changeable  weather — Dangerous  lakes- -Squalls  rushing  down  from  gorges  of 
the  Cordillera — Icebergs — Ashore  for  fuel — Squall  comes  on — Cut  off  from 
launch — Miserable  night — Wind  lulls — Aboard  again — Crossing  Hell-gate — 
Cow  Monte  harbour — Bernardo's  fire — Fighting  the  fire — News  of  the  world — 
Rumours  of  war — Death  of  the  Queen. 

Latk  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day  Burbury  arrived  with  the 
horses,  and  upon  the  following  morning  I  rode  on  with  him  to  pass 
the  troop  over  the  Santa  Cruz  River.  We  took  with  us  one  of 
Cattle's  hounds,  and  sighting  some  ostriches  on  the  way  we  gave 
chase.  The  dog  had  a  rope  affixed  to  his  collar,  by  which  Hurbury 
had  been  leading  him,  and  I  had  no  time  to  take  it  off  before 
letting  him  go.  In  spite  of  this  disability,  with  the  rope  trailing 
behind  him,  the  big  black  hound  j)ulled  down  one  of  the  birds. 
I  did  not  then  know  how  valuable  that  ostrich  was  to  be 
to  us. 

We  reached  the  Santa  Cruz  about  7  a.m.,  and.  after  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  persuasion,  we  managed  to  induce  the  horses 
to  enter  the  water. 

One  of  the  oTeat  clampers  of  drivino-  a  trobilla  into  a  ri\er  is 
the  chance  that,  when  they  do  take  to  the  water,  your  own  mount 
is  very  likely  to  rush  in  after  them,  and,  before  you  can  free 
yourself,  he  will  have  carried  you  into  the  pull  of  the  current,  and, 
of  course,  beyond  your  depth.  Therefore  it  is  always  well  to  do 
this  kind  of  work  bare-back,  with  onlv  a  l)ridlc  in  Nour  horse's 
mouth,  so  that  you  can  fling  yourself  off  at  an\  moment.  It  is  also 
well  to  un])uckle  the   loop   of  the   n'in  ;    the   omission  of  the  latter 


212         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OK  PATAGONIA 

precauLion     has    resulted    in    the    drowning"    of   horses    on    many 
occasions. 

xAfter  seeinor  Bnrbury  safely  across,  I  started  on  my  tramp  hack 
to  the  camp  at  the  mouth  of  the  Leona.  hortunately,  I  carried 
the  whole  ostrich  with  me,  as  I  thought  it  was  quite  possible  we 
might  be  held  ])ack  b\"  bad  weather  in  our  voyage  up  the  lake. 

Cattle  and  IJernardo  had  stayed  with  the  launch  to  prepare  her 
for  probable  rough  htnidling  by  the  waters  of  Lake  Argentino,  and 
it  was  lucky  they  did  so,  as  ev^ents  proved.  Cattle  lighted  a  smoke 
to  give  me  my  direction,  and  1  was  tempted  to  try  a  short  cut, 
which  led  me  across  an  interminable  series  ot  sandhills  mottled 
with  the  tracks  of  foxes  and  lions  (pumas). 

When  I  got  into  camp  we  held  a  small  festival  in  honour  of  the 
launch's  good  behaviour,  and  drank  to  her  health  and  good  luck  in 
a  cup  of  tea  sweetened  with  the  last  of  our  sugar.  But  it  never 
does  to  rejoice  prematurely,  and  our  way  along  the  north  shore  of 
the  lake  turned  out  to  be  a  battle  with  adverse  winds,  rain,  and 
vindictive  bad  weather. 

The  launch  presented  quite  a  different  appearance  by  the  time 
I  returned.  The  engine-room  hatch  had  been  covered  by  a  canvas 
hood,  and  bulwarks  formed  by  lashing  oars  to  strengthen  the  wire 
railino"  which  ran  round  the  deck.  The  wheel  had  been  riooed  up 
forward  and  protected  by  a  weather-dodger.  The  cargo  had  been 
carefully  stowed,  and,  in  fact,  every  precaution  taken  to  ensure  the 
safetv  of  the  boat  and  to  make  her  seaworthv. 

The  following"  is  taken  from  mv  diarv.  which  carries  us  from 
hour  to  hour  of  the  next  few  troubled  days  : 

''  February  2\.  —  It  blew  ])reuy  hard  all  through  the  morning, 
and  the  bar  of  the  Leona  was  quite  impassable ;  but  towards 
evening  the  wind  dropped  slightly,  so  wt-  got  up  steam  and  started. 
We  ran  out  over  the  bar,  fighting  our  w^ay  by  inches  through  the 
heavy  surf,  but  just  beyond  it  the  engine  broke  down,  and  we  were 
at  the  mercy  of  the  wind  and  waves.  It  looked  as  if  we  were 
being  driven  back  to  certain  shipwreck,  for  the  launch  could  not 
live  in  the  seas  that  were  breaking  on  the  bar.  I  cut  loose  one  of 
the  oars  which  formed  our  bulwark,  and  both  Cattle  and  I  did 
what  we  could  to  ])revent  her  turning  broadside  on. 


A  HARD  STRUGGLE  213 

"  I  was  engaged  in  this  work  at  the  stern  when  I  heard  Ber- 
nardo shout,  '  Mr.  Preechard  !      Mr.  Preechard  !  ' 

"  I  lay  my  full  length  along  the  deck  and  looked  down  at 
Bernardo  in  the  engine-room.  He  was  holding  on  to  the  pump, 
which  was  spouting  steam  and  water.  There  was  no  room  for  two 
people  in  the  engine-room,  nor  m  that  angry  sea  was  there  much 
possibility  of  my  getting  down  there.  So  I  lay  along  the  port 
decking,  and  slipped  my  feet  under  the  afier-hatch,  thanking  Pro- 
vidence for  my  length,  and  so  managed  to  hold  the  pump  down 
while  Bernardo  tried  to  repair  the  damage. 

"  Every  now  and  then  the  seas  caught  us  almost  broadside  on 
and  broke  heavily,  nearly  sweeping  me  over  with  them.  My  head 
beino-  outside,  I  could  see  Cattle  clinirino-  on  like  a  cat,  and  doingf 
all  that  man  could  do  to  keep  us  from  swinging  round.  We  were 
on  the  bar,  and  scarcely  twenty  yards  outside  the  fiercest  of  the 
breakers.  As  it  was,  big  seas  kept  sweeping  over  the  launch  and 
crashing  on  her  plates,  making  her  roll  appallingly. 

"  Between  us  and  the  shore  was  from  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  yeasty  surge,  dominated  by  a  heavy 
current  setting'  south.  The  anchor  continued  to  dra"".  and  we 
huno-  on  while  Bernardo  fou-'ht  with  screws  and  nuts  f  )r  (^ur 
lives.  While  we  drifted  back  over  the  bar,  nearly  capsizing  as 
we  did  so,  it  became  obvious  that  our  only  course  lay  in  first 
getting  in  the  anchor  and  then  putting  it  out  again  with  a  good 
length  of  chain.  In  spite  of  the  almost  inconceivable  rolling  of 
our  craft.  Cattle  was  successfLil  in  his  attempt  to  do  this,  and 
the  launch  came  prow  on  to  the  breakers,  which  were  losing 
something  of  their  fury  as  they  crashed  across  the  bar,  twenty 
yards  in  front  of  us. 

"  Meantime,  Bernardo  did  not  relax  his  efforts  toy^et  the  engines 
working  once  more.  We  were,  as  1  have  explained,  a  couple 
of  hundred  vards  from  the  shore,  towards  which  the  full  force  of 
the  wind,  aided  by  the  current  1  have  mentioned  as  setting  south 
towards  the  mouth  of  the  Santa  Cruz,  was  drifting  us. 

"  The  anchor  dragged  again,  and  we  had  to  underiake  the 
difficult  business  of  Lrettin*'  it  in.  aiul  taking  a  second  chance  of 
dr()[)])lng  it  on  better  holdinij;  ground. 


2  14         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

"  We  were  tossing  upon  the  bar  for  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes, 
during  which  time  poor  Bernardo  was  violently  seasick.  It  made 
us  laugh  to  hear  him  apostrophising  the  launch  in  the  words,  '  Be 
— she  make  me '      I  will  not  conclude  his  sentence. 

"  At  length,  however,  the  Swede  coaxed  the  engines  into  once 
more  performing  their  appointed  duties,  and  as  putting  back  would 
have  been  a  more  difficult  business  than  going  forward,  we  began 
to  forge  slowly  ahead.  It  was  now  between  five  and  six  o'clock, 
and  there  was  a  freezino-  south-west  wind  boomincr  out  of  the 
Cordillera,  but  when  darkness  fell  this  lulled  for  a  short  time  and 
we  made  the  most  of  our  chances  to  push  forward.  But,  later,  it 
came  on  to  blow  heavily,  the  seas  rose  high  and  short,  and  in  the 
night-sky  overhead  only  a  few  stars  were  visible  through  the 
racing  clouds.  The  wind  veered  to  the  south-west,  and  we  were 
off  a  lee  shore  set  with  rocks  and  icebergs,  and  there  was  no 
anchorage  for  another  twelve  miles  at  least. 

"  The  wind  again  veered  a  point  to  the  southward  after  a  time, 
and  it  soon  became  evident  that  the  launch,  quivering  and  swept 
continually  by  the  waves,  was  making  but  little  headway,  while  our 
stock  of  fuel  was  orrowinof  low,  and  would  not  last  us  for  the  run  to 
the  anchorao^e. 

"  I  shouted  the  facts  to  Cattle,  who  was  steering  at  the  time,  and 
he  suggested  that  we  should  try  to  make  Ascensio's  Bay — the 
place  where  the  famous  horse-stealer  and  Gaucho,  Brunei,  used  to 
hide  and  slay  xk^^tropillas  he  robbed  from  the  Indians.  As  Cattle 
and  I  were  discussing  the  question  in  shouts,  a  big  sea  swamped 
us,  almost  carrying  Cattle  overboard  with  it  and  billowing  along 
the  deck  and  nearly  drowning  out  the  engine-room. 

"  Cattle  had  made  some  trips  about  Lake  Argentino  in  a  canvas 
boat,  but  had  never  been  in  Ascensio's  Bay.  But,  as  the  night 
was  cffowino-  darker  and  the  oale  risino",  we  resolved  to  make  for 
it.  At  last,  through  the  noise  and  battering  of  the  grey-black 
water,  we  reached  the  shelter  of  the  promontory  by  the  bay  and 
succeeded  in  feeling  our  way  in.  There  we  dropped  anchors 
from  'ooth  bow  and  stern,  drew  off  some  water  from  the  boiler 
to  make  a  male  which  we  drank,  and  afterwards  lying  down 
in  the  after-hatch   instantly   fell   asleep.      Bernardo   occupied    the 


A  HARD  STRUGGLE 


215 


fore-hcitch.      We  were  too  tired  to  dream  of  eating  anything",  and, 
in   spite  of  our   close  quarters   and    the   cold,  we  did  not  wake  till 


niornmg. 


"  The  23rd  dawned  calm  and  fine,  and  the  llrst  view  of  the  spot 


WlIl.Ul-    1111.    M)L'Al.I..i    CAMl-    1  IM.M 


in  which  we  were  anchored  made  me  think  that  somethinLT  more 
than  mere  luck  had  been  with  us  during  our  entry  upon  the  previous 
night.  The  mouth  of  the  bay  was  dotted  with  an  outcrop  of  tooth- 
like rocks. 

"  The  dawn  developed  into  a  morning  with  strong  sun,  and  we 
were  off  earlv.  For  two  hours  all  went  well.  Then  came  a  shi\-cr 
creeping  across  the  glassy  surface  of  the  lake,  alter  that  a  swell,  and 
in  a  matter  of  twenty  minutes  the  quiet  lake  had  become  as  nasty 
and  as  angry  a  piece  of  water  as  can  be  imagined.  This  change  is 
eminently  typical  of  the  temper  of  the  Andean  lakes  ;  they  cannot 
be  depended  upon  from  hour  to  hour.  In  the  present  instance  at 
7.45  .\.M.  we  were  steaming,  as  I  ha\e  said,  through  calm  water, 
yet  at  8.15  one  sea  of  every  four  was  dashing  in  a  cloutl   ot   spra\ 


2i6         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

over  the  boat.      The  reason  of  these  sudden  chanofes  is  not  far  to 
seek.*^ 

"  Here,  encircled  by  snow-capped  mountains  and  bounded  by 
high  chffs,  the  waters  of  Argentino  are  often  struck  by  swift  squalls 
ciescendino-  from  the  "-oro-es.  The  vovaoer  may  be,  as  we  w^ere, 
nian\"  miles  distant  from  the  actual  spot  where  the  storm  first 
strikes,  but  the  squall  rushes  down  the  funnel-like  openings,  bring- 
ing a  heavy  sea  with  it.  The  seas  are  also  very  short,  which  more 
than  doubles  the  difficulty  of  navi<'ation. 

"  On  this  occasion  the  sun  was  obscured  and  the  outlook 
to  the  westward  became  more  and  more  menacing.  Tlie  launch 
began  to  creak  and  groan  as  usual,  and  to  make  but  slight 
headway.  Far  away  glimmered  an  iceberg,  which  lay  at  the 
entrance  of  the  bay  that  marked  our  next  harbouraoe.  Soon  it 
became  clear  that  we  should  never  be  able  to  reach  its  friendly 
shelter  without  gathering  a  fresh  supply  of  fuel.  There  was  only 
one  alternative  left  to  us,  and  ihat  was  to  put  in  close  to  the  shore, 
and  either  wade  or  swim  off  to  get  more. 

"  The  squall  had  now  more  or  less  spent  itself,  so  we  ran  in 
close,  gaining  some  small  shelter  from  a  promontory  which  ended 
in  a  biof  boulder. 

"To  attain  such  shelter  as  the  promontory  offered  it  was  neces- 
sary to  make  our  way  through  a  group  of  rocks.  This  we  did,  and 
llie  wind  sinking.  Cattle  and  I  scrambled  ashore  with  the  axes  and 
lell  to  work  while  Bernardo  remained  on  board. 

"  Before,  however,  we  had  gathered  half  the  required  (juantity  of 
wood  a  second  squall,  more  heavy  than  the  first,  came  screaming 
across  the  lake,  tearing  the  launch  from  her  anchorage  and  almost 
driving  her  upon  the  beach.  We  stripped  off  some  of  our  clothes 
and  waded  down  into  the  water,  and  after  a  ten- minutes  hard 
struggle  we  succeeded  in  getting  her  back  into  deep  water,  where 
she  again  dropped  anchor. 

"  We  returned  to  our  work  ashore,  and  cut  and  piled  a  good 
store  of  fuel,  almost  as  much  as  we  needed,  on  the  shingle  ready  to 
carr\-   aboard,    Ixit    the    violence   of    the   waves    put    all    hope    of 

'■••  Tliis  we  came  to  understand  very  thoroughly  at  a  later  date,  when  we  penetrated 
to  the  end  of  the  long  twisting  arms  ot  the  lake. 


A  HARD  STRUGGLE  217 

eml)arkalion  out  of  the  question  tor  the  time.  This  was  about 
10  A.M.,  and  all  day  the  wind  increased  in  violence.  A  stately 
procession  of  icebergs  began  to  lloatdoun  from  the  northerly  arms 
of  the  lake  and  squall  succeeded  squall.  Soon  it  became  evident 
that  the  launch  was  drifting-  again,  and  I  shouted  to  Bernardo,  who 
was  now  within  hearing  distance  oi'  the  shore,  to  break  up  an  oar 
and  use  it  for  fuel.  Luckilx'  he  had  kept  up  fire  in  the  furnace 
and  steam  in  the  boiler,  and  as  the  weather  was  growing  rapidly 
worse,  I  ordered  him  to  steam  up  ox'er  the  anchor,  and  afterwards 
to  take  the  boat  a  quarter  of  a  mile  out  and  there  drop  anchor 
with  all  the  length  of  chain  out  that  we  possessed. 

"What  followed  gave  to  us,  I  think,  perhaps  the  most  heart- 
breaking moments  we  experienced  throughout  the  whole  trip. 
While  Bernardo  was  getting  up  enough  steam  to  carry  out  orders, 
the  launch,  still  drifting,  swooped  nearer  and  nearer  a  reef  of 
submerged  rocks.  As  she  was  in  deep  water,  Cattle  and  I  could  do 
nothing  to  help  ;  we  were  compelled  to  watch  helplessly  from  the 
shore  and  rage  at  our  own  impotence.  We  called  to  Bernardo  to 
keep  her  off  with  an  oar,  and  while  he  was  unlashing  one  the 
stern  of  the  launch  and,  more  than  all.  her  precious  pro]:)eller  barely 
escaped  being  smashed  to  pieces  as  she  rose  and  lell  on  the  rollers. 
To  us,  lookin"-  from  the  shore,  it  seemed  as  if  her  last  hour  was 
come,  and  it  appeared  hard  indeed  that  she  should  have  run  safely 
through  so  many  perils  only  to  end  her  existence  in  the  lake  before 
we  had  had  time  to  carr\-  out  any  part  of  thc^  ex})loration  on  which 
we  had  set  our  hearts. 

"At  the  crucial  moment,  however,  Bernardo  managed  to  pole 
her  clear  and  give  her  steam.  .She  moved  slow  ly  out  anti  anchored 
far  off  shore. 

"  Evening  drew  on,  but  the  wind  showed  no  signs  of  dropping, 
as  it  usualK-  did  at  the  rising  or  setting  of  the  sun.  There  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  make  up  our  minds  to  a  night  ashore.  We 
foimd  ourselves  in  a  dilemma,  for  we  had  our  whole  suppK'  of 
food  on  shore,  while,  with  the  exception  of  my  poncho,  which 
I  brought  with  me  to  dr\ ,  liernardo  had  all  the  rugs  and 
blankets  in  the  launch.  However,  we  made  the  best  ot  it  by 
building    up   a  big  shelter  of  drift-wood  .uul    bushes.      'I  hen   we 


2i8         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OE  PATAGONIA 

lit  a  huge  lire,  for  our  clothes  were  soaking,  and  essayed  to 
dry  them. 

"  Meantime  the  launch  was  riding  out  the  storm  as  well  as  could 
be  expected,  but  taking  a  good  deal  of  water  aboard  all  the  same.  It 
grew  dark  and  the  last  we  saw  of  her  that  night,  her  anchor  was 
holdino-  and  a  biy"  sea  was  racino-  aft.  Bernardo  had  got  on  the 
hatches  and  gone  to  bed,  we  supposed,  for  we  did  not  see  hini  the 
whole  time  save  once,  and  then  he  was  bailincr  furiously-" 

The  sky  was  black  with  the  promise  of  rain,  so  we  heaped 
up  the  big  fire,  filled  the  cooking-pots  with  water,  and  spreading 
the  poncho  on  the  ground  took  our  places  upon  it.  It  was  not 
such  a  very  bad  night  after  all.  Things  rarely  fulfil  their 
promise  of  disagreeableness — things  of  this  kind  anyway.  We 
passed  the  night  somehow  with  the  help  of  our  pipes  and  an 
occasional  brew  of  sugarless  tea.  I  never  desired  sugar  so 
much  as  then.  Sugarless  tea  is  far  less  warming-  than  sugared. 
Sleep  was  well-nigh  impossible.  It  was  too  cold  for  that,  and, 
besides,  one  or  other  of  us  was  always  up  and  trying  to  pick  out 
the  launch  from  the  surrounding  mass  of  spindrift  and  tumbling 
black  and  grey  waters. 

In  those  latitudes  the  wind  generally  rises  or  falls,  as  the  case 
may  be,  with  the  setting  or  rising  of  the  sun,  and  eagerly  we  waited 
to  see  if  the  dawn  would  bring  any  change  in  our  uncomfortable 
position.  P)ut  at  dawn  it  was  blowing,  if  anything,  harder  than  ever. 
The  launch,  however,  was  all  rii^ht,  although  there  was  no  sign  of 
Bernardo.  We  were  driven  to  make  a  breakfast  of  berries  from  the 
califate-bushes,  of  which  a  few  mean  specimens  grew  sparsely  on  the 
hillside.      It  is  a  desolate  place,  that  northern  shore  of  Argentino. 

When  the  sun  came  out  we  lay  down  and  slept  in  its  li(|uid 
rays.  A  little  after  midday  we  cooked  some /a7'i/}a  with  mutton 
fat  and  ate  it.  The  gale  was  still  tearing  across  the  water,  and  we 
began  to  count  over  our  resources.  W'e  still  had  the  greater  part 
of  the  ostrich  which  the  hound  Moses  had  killed  on  the  way  to 
the  River  Santa  Cruz,  but  it  was  an  immature  bird,  and  would 
provide  us  with  no  more  than  three  meagre  meals.  A  couple  of 
handfuls  oi  faiHna  were  yet  in  the  bottom  of  the  bag,  we  had  a 
half-tin  of  tea  and  three-parts  of  a  plug  of  tobacco. 


A  HARD  STRUGGLE  219 

As  for  Bernardo,  he  had  now  been  nearly  thirty  hours  without 
food  ;  indeed,  to  be  accurate,  he  had  been  fifty  hours  without  food, 
thirty  of  them  in  the  launch,  for  we  had  started  work  on  a  inat^. 
If  we  could  have  made  him  hear,  he  might  have  attached  a  line 
to  the  life-buoy  and  floated  her  off,  and  we  could  have  sent  him 
back  supplies. 

We  had  made  certain  of  another  ni^-ht  of  discomfort,  so  we 
gathered  another  big  pile  of  firewood.  Cattle's  leg,  that  he  had 
strained  on  the  previous  day,  was  giving  him  much  pain.  But 
when  the  sun  was  already  dipping  behind  the  summits  of  the 
Cordillera  the  storm  began  to  lull.  W^e  had  little  hope  that 
Bernardo  could  stand  out  much  longer  against  starvation,  so  after 
half  an  hour,  as  the  seas  were  going  down,  we  thought  it  well  to 
try  and  get  off  to  the  launch. 

We  went  down  to  the  beach,  and,  after  much  hailing,  roused 
the  Swede.  By  signs  I  told  him  to  come  in  as  close  as  he  dared, 
which  meant  to  within  twenty  or  twenty-five  yards  of  the  shingle. 
This  time  he  got  her  in  a  better  position,  and  we  stripped  and 
waded  in  with  the  wood.  It  took  us  about  forty  journeys,  and  the 
water  was  abominably  cold.  I  do  not  think  two  men  ever  worked 
much  harder  during  the  time  we  were  at  it,  so  before  very  long  we 
were  on  board  with  evervthincr. 

Fearing  to  remain  near  the  shore  we  got  up  steam,  and  with 
exceeding  thankfulness  bade  good-bye  to  that  inhospitable  beach. 
I  asked  Bernardo  how  much  lono-er  he  thouoht  he  could  have  held 
out.  He  said  two  days,  and,  in  fact,  appeared  to  think  he  had 
been  better  off  with  the  blankets  and  his  pipe  and  the  warmth  of 
the  fore-hatch  than  we  with  food  on  shore.  h^irst  and  lasi  he  was 
a  fine  fellow,  patient,  quiet  and  hard-working.  As  to  his  being 
better  off  than  Cattle  and  myself,  that  was  a  matter  of  indix-idual 
taste,  1  suppose.  As  a  rule,  indeed,  the  average  man  will,  as  ^ax- 
as  my  experience  goes,  sacrifice  his  food  to  his  l)ed  nearly  e\\r\" 
time,  especially  when  the  wind  is  blowing  out  of  th(;  snows. 

Evening  soon  setlletl  down  into  night,  antl  we  ran  '^^w  b\'  star- 
lioht  to  our  next  anchorage,  an  almost  land-lockeil  baw  where  we 
made  merry  on  the  remains  of  the  ostrich.  I  also  discovered  some 
flour  in  the  afterhold  which  had  been   overlooked,  enough  lo  make 


220         THROUGH  THE  HEART  0¥  PArAGONIA 

three  small  dampers.     We  were  uncommonly  j^lacl  to  resume  our 
rugs  that  night. 

On  the  24th  we  gathered  more  wood  and  put  to  sea.  We 
meant  to  reach  the  southern  shore  of  the  lake  on  the  Pjurmeister 
Peninsula,  and  there  put  in  to  a  good  anchorage  not  far  from 
Cattle's  headquarters.  But  to  do  this  it  was  necessary  to  pass 
across  Hell-gate,  the  opening  to  the  north  arm  or  North  P^jord 
of  I  he  lake,  always  a  difficult  stretch  of  water  owino"  to  the  fact 
that  squalls  perpetually  blew  down  upon  it  from  the  funnel  formed 
by  the  winding  gorges  of  the  upper  lake.  We  soon  saw  the  two 
dark  bluffs  beyond  which  the  water  wound  away  behind  the  out- 
hing  buttresses  of  the  mountains,  whose  snow-caps  glimmered 
against  the  wintry  sky.  We  did  not  escape  scot-free,  for  a  squall 
duly  caught  us,  and  the  tossing  sent  everything  in  the  launch  adrift. 
We  ran  by  five  icebergs  and  once  the  pump  refused  to  act,  and 
things  looked  awkward,  but  in  the  end,  to  make  a  long  story  short, 
we  steamed  into  our  shelter,  which  w^e  called  Cow  Monte  Harbour, 
and  tied  up  the  launch  with  no  small  thankfulness,  for  she  was 
leaking  badly  through  the  cracked  plate  I  have  before  referred  to. 

As  the  grass  was  dry  we  could  not,  with  safely,  make  a  fire  suffi- 
ciently laroe  to  signal  Burbury  to  brino-  up  the  horses,  as  had  been 
arranofed,  so  we  sent  on  Bernardo  with  a  messaoe.  He  started  off 
in  his  l)ig  boots  and  we  had  no  idea  of  the  mischief  he  was  to  drop 
into  before  we  saw  him  again.  He  was  accustomed  to  the  pampas 
round  about  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz,  where  you  can  light  a  fire 
with  impunity,  but  amongst  the  high  grass  growing  in  the  valleys 
of  the  foothills  of  the  Cordillera  a  fire  is  certain  to  spread  over  an 
immense  area.  Finding  the  way  long,  perhaps,  Bernardo  sent  up 
a  l)race  of  smokes  as  signals.  We  saw  them,  and  knew  at  once 
what  was  likely  to  happen. 

When  the  horses  arrived  we  bundled  on  to  them  and  rode  away 
to  try  and  stop  the  conflagration.  There  were  two  fires  raging, 
and  our  only  chance  lay  in  being  able  to  arrest  their  spreading 
bcNond  the  shores  of  a  dry  lagoon,  which  mercifully  extended 
between  them  and  the  summer-dried,  well-grassed  marsh  lying 
under  Mount  Buenos  Aires  and  Mount  Frias,  where  Cattle's 
pioneer-farm    was    situated.      It   would    have    been    a    distressing 


A  HARD  STRUGGLE  221 

return  for  his  co-operation  and  help  had  one  ot  niy  men  raised  a 
fire  to  sweep  over  his  land  and  destroy  his  whole  stock  of  horses, 
sheep  and  cattle,  a  result  that  was  for  a  time  inimincnt. 

We  all  provided  ourseK'es  with  sheepskins  and  began  our 
attempt  to  beat  out  the  fire.  It  was  raging  in  bone-dry  grass  and 
thorn  and  the  flames  leaped  up  and  scorched  our  faces.  Every 
blow  with  the  sheepskin  sent  up  a  shower  of  sparks  that  got  into 
one's  eyes  and  ears,  and  it  appeared  as  if  we  should  never  make 
headway  against  the  blaze.  We  might  clear  ten  feet  for  a  moment, 
but  as  we  turned  away  the  flames  would  eat  their  way  back  and. 
rekindling,  flare  up  in  waving  tongues  and  roar  again.  Of  course 
we  were  to  windward,  on  the  lee  side  the  smoke  rolled  away  in  a 
solid  cloud.  I  do  not  know  how  long  we  worked  on  that  upper 
ring  of  fire,  but  slowly  we  succeeded  in  beating  it  out  by  sheer 
weight  and  repetition  of  blows. 

The  wind  had  by  this  time  dropped  a  little,  and  the  course  of 
the  main  blaze  set  downhill.  At  length  we  had  beaten  out  a  half- 
circle  and  came  to  the  crux  of  the  affair.  If  we  could  but  blot  out 
the  fire  to  the  south,  where  it  was  burning  savagely  among  high 
bushes  and  dry  thorn,  it  was  probable  the  situation  would  be 
saved. 

We  took  a  short  rest  of  four  or  five  minutes  and  began  again. 
The  smoke  was  gathering  and  rolling  in  great  gouts,  and  we  could 
see  nothing  save  the  flames  on  the  one  side  of  us  and  the  black 
blinding  tlust  on  the  other.  As  for  ourselves,  we  were  as  black  and 
scorched  as  singed  rats.  We  knew  that  the  next  ten  minutes 
would  decide  the  matter. 

Beside  the  fire  ran  a  meandering  cow  or  game  track,  and  it 
was  at  this  line  that  we  meant  to  try  and  cut  off  the  flames,  which 
were  rapidl\-  sj)reading  and  getting  out  of  hand.  (  )nc  was 
conscious  of  nodiiiig  but  the  thud  of  the-  sheepskins  and  the 
figures  of  the  workers  leaping  in  and  out  of  the  smoke  and  flame. 
I  have  never  witnessed  a  wilder  scene.  The  men  shouted  as  they 
worked.  It  was  like  a  battle-picture  seen  in  a  dream.  All  along 
the  cow-track,  where  the  fire  lij)j)ed  it,  the  sheej)skins  rose  anil  lell. 
A  dense  diui-coloured  cloud  rolled  out  ami  uj),  III  (werx- momciu  1)\- 
explosions  of  sparks. 


222         THROUGH  THE   HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Presently  it  became  a  race  for  a  spot  some  200  yards  ahead, 
where  a  Hne  of  green  damp  grass  might  stop  the  fire  and  force  it 
in  another  direction.  To  cut  it  off  at  this  ])oint  would  make  the 
remainder  of  our  task  more  easy.  Ihit  just  on  the  nearer  side  of 
the  orrass  line  a  number  of  hii>h  bushes  were  ofrowino",  and  their 
strono-  roots  and  lower  branches  i>-ave  the  ilames  a  definite  hold. 
Now  and  again,  too,  one  had  to  run  back  and  stamp  out  some  sudden 
recrudescence  of  the  fiame.  There  is  no  need  to  describe  the  last 
half-hour  ;  only,  when  the  yellow  circle  of  fire  had  given  place  to 
a  smouldering  black  ring,  we  were  ready  to  lie  down  on  our 
blackened  sheepskins  and  feel  neither  glad  nor  sorry  but  only 
wearily  tired. 

To  beat  out  a  fire  is  about  the  hardest  sort  of  effort  a  man  can 
make,  for  no  spell  of  rest  can  be  obtained  without  losing  the 
results  of  previous  labour.  Afterwards,  when  we  made  a  round  of 
the  fires  to  make  sure  of  safety,  w^e  found  them  sinking  sullenly 
into  black  deadness. 

We  were  especially  lucky  in  the  direction  taken  by  the  fire,  as, 
had  it  burnt  along  any  other  line,  it  is  almost  certain  that  our  camp 
and  all  that  we  possessed  would  have  been  destroyed.  Such  a 
disaster  actually  occurred  to  Cattle  some  years  ago  in  the  north  of 
the  country.  He  was  then  journeying  with  two  companions,  when 
a  half-breed  boy  he  had  with  him  was  foolish  enough  to  allow  a 
camp-fire  to  spread  among  the  surrounding  grass.  The  pioneers 
were  able  to  save  nothing  but  a  pair  of  boleadores  and  a  Winchester 
rifle  with  the  seven  cartridges  that  happened  to  be  in  it.  The 
party  fortunately  possessed  several  hounds,  by  whose  efforts  the 
stock  of  meat  was  kept  up,  otherwise  it  is  more  than  likely  that 
their  case  would  have  been  a  serious  one. 

The  interval  between  the  time  of  our  startinij  for  Lake  Viedma 
and  our  return  was  in  all  but  eleven  days.  During  those  eleven 
days  much  happened  that  brought  back  most  \'ividly  to  me  old 
boyish  dreams  of  travel  and  romance.  1  had  realised  some  of 
them,  but  risk  and  adventure,  which  enchant  us  in  the  <>"lamour  of 
far-off  contemj^lation,  are  apt  on  nearer  view  to  lose  in  romance 
what  they  gain  in  reality. 

On  the  same  day  of  the  fire,  news,  brought  by  some  wandering 


A  HARD  STRUGGLE 


223 


Indian  or  Gaucho,  reached  us  ;  rumours  passing-  from  mouth  to 
mouth  as  they  will  in  a  wonderful  manner  over  the  most  sparsely- 
populated  country.  The  first  we  heard  was  a  report  of  war,  a  real 
war-scare,  such  as  might  have  originated  from  the  fertile  imagina- 
tion of  a  Haitian  journalist.  The  Russians  were  said  to  be 
marching  upon  India,  and  France  had  joined  hands  with  them 
against  England. 

It  was  but  the  barest  outline,  yet  it  shook  and  excited  us  out 
there  in  the  ends  of  the  earth  just  as  if  we  had  formed  items  of  a 
crowd  in  Fleet  Street, 

Following  on  this  came  that  other  heavy  tidings  indeed,  the 
death  of  the  Oueen.  Wc  took  off  our  hats,  and  at  first  nothino- 
was  said.  The  news  struck  each  man  of  us.  There  was  a  sense 
of  loss  and  of  the  blankness  of  a  personal  calamity,  which  expressed 
theniselves  at  last  in  a  few  odd  homely  words. 

There,  7000  miles  away,  the  abstract  idea  of  the  nation  became 
concrete.  One  had  no  picture  in  one's  mind  of  England  that  did 
not  bear  in  the  foreground,  fillino- the  heart  and  eve,  that  o-racious, 
royal,  simple,  noble  figure,  which  for  so  long  had  drawn  out  towards 
itself  the  highest  patriotism  of  the  race.  The  tumult  of  a  nation's 
mourning  was  taken  up  and  echoed  feebly  here  as  in  other  remote 
corners  of  the  earth.  Thousands  of  pens  have  borne  witness  to  the 
world-wide  sorrow.  No  need  to  say  more,  but  while  I  write  the 
scene  comes  back,  as  some  moments  of  one's  life  will  and  do  come 
— the  broad  blue  heavens,  the  wide  lake,  the  wind,  the  smell  of 
grass  and  califate-bushes,  the  grasping  after  shattered  fancies,  and 
the  heavy  acceptance  of  the  hour  assigned. 


CHAPTER   XVI 


WILD    CATTLE 

Denseness  of  forest — Wild  cattle  originally  escaped  from  early  settlers — 
Grown  somewhat  shaggy— Indians  will  not  hunt  them  in  forest — Patagonia  not 
a  big-game  country — Hunting  wild  cattle— Disappointment — Hunter  s  para- 
dise— Twelve  blank  days— Sport  on  Punta  Bandera — Big  yellow  bull — Losing 
the  herd— Baffling  ground  — Charge  of  hull  and  cow— A  shot  at  last— Hunting 
in  forests  on  Mount  Frias — Str:ng  shoes — Winter  hunting — Shoot  bull— Shoot 
huenml  five-pointer — Wild-cattle  hunting  first-class  sport. 

Very  different  to  the  easy  sport  afforded  by  the  huemul  was  our 
experience  of  hunting  wild  cattle  in  the  forests  which  clothe  more 
or  less  densely  the  ravines  and  slopes  of  the  lower  Andes.      These 

.     forests,    which    in    some    parts    are 

'  absolutely  impenetrable  in  the  spring, 

because  at  that  season  \}i\^  pantanos 
are  saturated  with  the  rains  and 
melting  snow,  give  shelter  to  many 
scattered  herds  of  wild  cattle. 

Captain  Musters,  writing  in  1871, 
speaks  ol  hunting  these  animals 
under  the  Cordillera,  but  their 
existence  in  a  wild  state  dates 
from  a  far  earlier  period — in  fact,  from  the  time  of  the  first 
Spanish  occupation,  when  cattle  escaped  from  the  \  aldez  Penin- 
sula, and  roaming  over  the  pampas  at  length  reached  the  high 
grass  and  sheltered  j^laces  of  the  Cordillera.  Finding  these 
entirely  to  their  liking,  they  have  ever  since  lived  and  bred  in  that 
region  ;  their  numbers,  no  doubt,  being  from  time  to  time  increased 
by  deserters  from  the  unfenced  farms  on  the  east  coast  of  Pata- 
gonia. It  is  a  strange  thing  that  cattle  which  escape  almost 
invariably  head  north-west  towards  the  Cordillera.       This  fact  has 


Wn.D    CATTLE    BKEKI) 


WILD  CATTLE  225 

been  commented  on  to  us  by  many  different  Gauchos  and  cattle- 
owners  up  and  down  the  east  coast. 

The  older  herds  have  lost  the  smooth  aspect  of  domesticated 
animals  and  thrown  back  to  the  shaggy  front,  longer  horns  and 
rough-haired  hide  characteristic  of  wild  cattle.  As  to  the  special 
parts  of  Patagonia  in  which  wild  cattle  are  most  plentiful,  it  would 
be  of  little  use  to  give  a  list  of  them.  Should  a  herd  stray  in  the 
plains,  the  Indians  will  soon  make  them  change  their  quarters  and 
return  to  take  refuge  among  the  woods  and  ravines  of  the  foothills. 
Inside  this  forest-land  the  Indians  will  never  venture,  and  there 
the  emancipated  bull  thoroughly  enjoys  himself.  Even  the  beasts 
belonging  to  the  farmers  lead  a  wandering  life,  and  at  a  short 
distance  from  the  settlements  are  shy  of  the  approach  of  man,  and 
have  to  be  rounded  up  by  mounted  Gauchos.  Those  of  them  that 
have  been  inside  a  corral  and  regained  their  liberty  are  every  whit 
as  wild  as  the  wild  cattle  proper.  Being  caught  with  a  lasso  and 
branded  is  by  no  means  an  experience  calculated  to  instil  any  deep 
confidence  in  mankind  into  the  mind  of  a  calf 

In  the  Cordillera  the  herds  are  extremely  wideawake.  When 
a  point  is  disturbed,  they  always  go  higher  up  into  the  mountains, 
and  almost  invariably  leave  that  particular  neighbourhood  under 
cover  of  the  ensuing  night.  Their  climbing  powers  are  extra- 
ordinary. Wherever  a  guanaco  can  go,  a  wild  bull  can  follow 
him.  Their  tracks  are  regularly  and  clearly  marked,  ana  they 
appear  to  move  along  precisely  the  same  paths  from  feeding-place 
to  feeding-place.  The  snows  of  winter  force  them  to  lower 
ground,  but  in  my  opinion  the  herds  never  penetrate  very  deep 
into  the  Cordillera.  Precisely  how  far  they  go  it  would  be  hard  to 
determine,  but  they  seldom  ascend  to  the  higher  levels,  preferring 
to  wander  about  the  outer  spurs  of  the  lower  bills.  There  is  a 
spot  on  the  south  side  of  the  Lake  Rica  where  they  appear  to 
make  their  wav  farther  into  the  recesses  of  the  mountains  than  in 
any  other  district. 

Pataoonia,  as  the  reader  will  bv  this  lime  realise,  cannot  be 
called  a  big-game  country  in  the  sense  of  affording  any  variety  of 
large  animals  for  the  benefit  of  the  sportsman.  lUit  whoever  goes 
into    the   Cordillera   will    find    the   wild    hulls   df  ihcir   forests  well 

p 


226         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

worthy  of  his  attention,  for  they  give  as  excellent  sport  as  any  big 
game  in  the  world.  A  point  which  must  tell  greatly  in  their 
favour  in  the  eyes  of  some  people  is  the  fact  that  the  pursuit  of 
them  is  a  pleasure  by  no  means  unattended  by  danger. 

The  first  day  on  which  I  attempted  to  find  wild  cattle  we 
sighted  two  herds,  one  about  half  way  up  the  hillside  and  the 
other  higher,  almost  upon  the  snow-line.  We  had  gone  out  rather 
with  the  idea  of  prospecting,  having  but  little  hope  of  being  so 
lucky  as  to  get  a  shot.  Mr.  Cattle,  Burbury,  and  myself  made  up 
the  party,  and  while  Cattle  hid  in  the  direction  towards  which 
the  herd  might  be  expected  to  break,  Burbury  and  I  undertook 
the  stalk.  We  separated,  and  I  finally  got  within  two  hundred 
yards  of  a  dun-coloured  bull  ;  but  his  position  was  so  bad  that  it 
seemed  a  pity  to  shoot.  The  herd  ultimately  moved  into  a  strip 
of  forest  high  on  the  shoulder  of  the  mountain,  and  we  failed  to 
locate  it  again. 

Upon  this  followed  a  period  when  the  memory  of  the  shot  I 
might  have  taken  rankled  as  a  thorn  in  the  flesh.  The  difficulty 
of  finding  a  herd  was  very  great.  We  went  out  several  days  in 
succession  and  failed  to  catch  sight  of  a  single  horn.  For  twelve 
days  we  searched  from  dawn  to  dark  and  found  nothing.  Yet 
these  days,  which  resulted  in  a  total  bag  of  two  huemules,  were- 
inhnitely  more  sporting  than  were  those  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  River  de  los  Antiguos,  where  a  large  number  of  animals  might 
have  been  secured.  On  four  occasions  fresh  tracks  were  found, 
and  in  that  keen  invigorating  air  the  hunting  of  such  a  quarry  was 
a  sport  for  the  gods. 

There  is  a  picturesque  sentence  in  one  of  Mr.  Kipling's  writings, 
in  which  he  speaks  of  a  life  "  spent  on  blue  water  in  the  morning 
of  the  world."  Each  savage  of  us  has,  I  suppose,  some  such 
ideal  existence,  and  if  that  be  so,  mine  would  be  passed  in  hunting- 
some  great  horned  quarry  upon  frozen  hills  in  a  land  where  no 
wind  too  strong  should  blow,  and  where  the  views  of  water  and  of 
peaks  should  be  in  all  shades  of  separate  and  glorious  blue. 
What  a  splendid  place  such  a  happy  hunting-ground  would  be  ! 
Quite  different  to  the  happy  hunting-grounds  of  the  North 
American  Indian,  the   Tehuelche  or  the    Eskimo — the  latter,   bv- 


^i^-    ^< 


^^^' 


o 


< 

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y. 


Q 
< 

o 


or 


WILD  CATTLE  227 

the  way,  looks  forward  to  a  paradise  where  he  will  lie  for  ever 
upon  the  sleeping-bench  in  the  warmth  and  eat  decomposed  seals' 
heads  !  The  nomad  hunter  races  kill  to  eat  in  any  manner  or  by 
any  means,  the  romance  of  sport  is  in  one  sense  lacking  in  them  ; 
but  in  my  happy  hunting-ground  there  will  be  Irish  elk  with 
mighty  spreading  horns  upon  those  wondrous  hills.   .   .   . 

We  have  w^andered  far  away  from  our  subject.  I  think  it  may 
be  said  that  during  those  twelve  blank  days  every  method  of 
hunting  wild  cattle  had  a  fair  trial.  Upon  the  northern  slopes  of 
Mount  Buenos  Aires  (which,  I  must  mention,  is  very  far  distant 
from  Lake  Buenos  Aires,  being,  in  fact,  surrounded  on  three  sides 
by  the  waters  of  Lake  Argentino)  there  is  comparatively  little 
wood,  although  there  is  much  thick  high  brush,  so  that — as  in 
Sardinian  moufflon-shooting — one  may  spy  the  ground  two  or 
three  times  in  the  day,  and  yet  fail  to  discover  a  herd  hidden  in 
the  brush  or  in  one  of  the  many  water-worn  ravines.  Neverthe- 
less, this  place  was  the  most  open  ground  which  we  hunted,  and 
was  far  superior  to  the  Lake  Rica  side  of  the  mountain,  upon 
which  cluster  dense  forests  of  antarctic  beech,  through  which  it  is 
impossible  to  see  more  than  twenty  or  thirty  yards,  and  often  not 
so  far. 

Once  or  twice  I  tried  sitting  up  for  bulls  at  their  drinking- 
places,  but  never  with  any  success.  The  fact  is,  that  the  forests 
they  range  through  are  so  well  watered  with  streams,  pantanos 
and  springs,  that  they  have  a  score  of  drinking-places  to  choose 
from,  therefore  the  chances  are  twenty  to  one  against  getting  a 
shot.  But  in  a  district  where  water  is  scarce,  it  seems  to  me  that 
this  plan  might  meet  with  success.  The  best  sport  was  un- 
doubtedly that  which  we  enjoyed  towards  Punta  Bandera,  a  head- 
land forming  the  north  point  of  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 

It  was  here,  upon  the  thirteenth  day  of  my  hunting,  about  an 
hour  and  a  half  before  dark,  that  I  perceived  a  fine  point  of  seven- 
teen upon  the  hillside  in  front  of  me.  They  were,  however,  in  a 
spot  utterl)-  impossible  of  approach,  in  the  centre  ot  a  l)ald  ridge 
upon  the  summit  of  which  they  were  silhouetted  against  the  black 
background  of  the  mountain  beyond  them.  Deep  gullies  cut  up 
the  intervening  ground,  and  after  advancing  as  near  as  might  be, 


228         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

I  lay  down  and  possessed  my  soul  in  patience,  waiting  until  the 
moment  when  the  herd  should  choose  to  move.  They  had  left 
me  time  enough  and  to  spare  for  observing  them  through  the 
glasses.  Three  black  bulls,  a  yellow  one  and  a  red  were  the  pick 
of  the  herd,  there  were  some  cows  and  well-grown  calves  also,  and 
these  last  began  to  proceed  very  leisurely  down  a  cow-track,  which 
would  ultimately  lead  them  on  to  ground  where  they  might  be 
stalked.  I  had  tied  up  my  horse  in  a  hollow  among  some  bushes 
ot  Lena  dura.  It  was  a  orjorious  evenino-  and  the  shadows  stood 
out  very  distinctly,  so  much  so  that  from  the  slightly  higher  ground 
I  could  see  with  the  telescope  the  movements  of  the  shadows  of 
the  bulls.  The  bases  of  the  mountain  were  steeped  in  clear  still 
dusk,  there  was  no  wind,  and  the  whole  scene  lived  again  fantasti- 
cally in  the  smooth  waters  of  the  lake.  When  one  is  shooting,  no 
matter  how  intent  one  may  be  upon  the  game,  it  is  natural  to 
observe  these  things  and  enjoy  them,  in  a  secondary  sense  possibly, 
but  none  the  less  keenly.  Anyway,  there  was  plenty  of  time  to 
observe,  for  the  herd  took  it  easy,  and  now  and  then  one  of  the 
bisf  bulls  would  come  to  a  standstill  and  stare  about  him.  The 
yellow  bull  especially  took  my  fancy,  the  spread  of  his  horns  must 
have  been  over  four  feet.  At  length,  however,  the  last  of  the  herd 
disappeared  into  a  gully  and  I  hastened  forward.  About  a  mile 
separated  me  from  the  point,  and  this  I  covered  at  good  speed  ;  the 
final  bit  necessitated  a  crawl,  which  ended  on  the  edge  of  a  low 
rocky  plateau.  Here  I  peered  through  some  fuchsia-bushes.  To 
my  disgust  the  herd  had  quickened  their  pace,  and  were  a  little 
beyond  range  upon  a  space  of  level  land  beneath  me  ;  they  lingered 
here  for  an  uncommonly  long  time,  giving  me  ample  opportunity 
to  study  the  surrounding  cow-tracks  and  the  grass-bare  wallows. 
Meantime  the  precious  light  was  fading,  and  the  reflections  of  the 
snow-peaks  were  beginning  to  blur  and  darken  in  the  mirror  of 
the  lake.  Ahead  of  the  herd  were  a  number  of  tracks,  which  ran 
parallel  with  each  other  for  a  certain  distance,  but  afterwards 
branched  into  different  directions.  I  could  see  them  dimly  through 
the  telescope.  Should  they  happen  to  take  the  lowest  of  these, 
they  would  be  delivered  into  my  hands,  for  it  led  imniediately 
under  a  cliff  over  which  1  could  get  within  a   few  yards  of  them. 


WILD  CATTLE  229 

This  track  finally  emerged  upon  the  shore  of  the  lake.  Under  the 
leadership  of  a  yellow  cow,  the  whole  point  began  presently  to 
descend  this  very  track.  As  soon  as  the  last  of  them  was  out  of 
sieht,  I  rushed  on  to  secure  mv  shot.  On  th(;  way  1  spied  from 
behind  a  boulder  on  high  ground  the  coveted  old  yellow  l)ull 
knee-deep  in  the  lake,  drinking.  Over  the  first  part,  which  was 
high,  I  had  to  be  very  careful,  but  once  this  spot  was  passed, 
coming  to  the  conclusion  that  as  the  light  was  fading  so  fast  the 
race  would  probably  be  to  the  swift,  I  hurried.  Alas !  a  deep 
gully  again  blocked  my  way,  and  it  was  necessary  to  make  a 
detour  of  about  half  a  mile  through  breast-high  bushes.  While 
passing  amongst  the  brush  much  care  had,  of  course,  to  be  exercised 
to  avoid  the  breaking  of  twigs  or  branches,  as  the  herd  was  not  far 
off.  When  at  last  I  arrived  at  the  cliff  above  the  spot  where  the 
herd  had  disappeared,  I  could  not  see  the  sights  of  my  rifle.  I 
would  have  o-iven  much  for  two  minutes  of  moonlioht,  for  I  could 
hear  the  noise  of  the  bulls  moving  within  twenty  yards,  and  the 
smell  of  them  was  distinctly  perceptible  to  my  senses,  sharpened 
by  months  of  a  natural  life.  The  whole  herd  had  packed  pretty 
close  together  on  the  edge  of  the  shingle,  but  it  was  already  too 
dark  for  me  to  shoot,  so  I  retired  after  a  while,  comforting  myself 
with  the  prospect  of  following  the  herd  in  the  morning. 

Vet  althoucrh  I  followed.  I  never  found.  The  herd,  as  was 
to  be  read  from  the  tracks,  struck  upwards  after  leaving  the  lake 
and  entered  a  wide  piece  of  forest,  in  which  no  day  was  ever  long 
enouo-h  to  find  them.  Several  times  after  this  we  were  on  the 
tail  of  a  herd,  and  aoain  and  aijain  lost  them  in  the  dense  forests. 
The  ground  over  which  one  had  to  move  was  extremely  baulking 
to  success  ;  it  was  covered  with  broken  sticks,  dead  trees,  and 
branches,  dry,  rotten,  and  ready  to  snap  beneath  the  smallest 
pressure.  Sometimes  after  a  long  stalk  one  found  oneself  in 
a  patch  of  dry  dead  bushes,  the  breaking  of  any  bough  of  which 
would  certainly  spoil  all  chance  of  success.  Again,  one  could  not 
see  more  than  from  twenty  to  fifty  yards  ahead,  ami  in  thick  forests 
much  less.  A  herd  will  stand  {juite  still  till  within  thirty  yards  if 
you  have  not  perceived  them,  but  the  moment  your  eye  catches 
one  of  theirs  the  animal  makes  off,  taking  his  companions  with  him. 


230         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

A  bull,  if  you  wound  him  and  he  charges,  will  charge  but  once, 
and  if  he  misses  you,  will  pass  on.  But  a  cow  is  quite  another 
affair.  She  will  return  to  the  charge  again  and  again,  and  will 
kneel  down  in  order  to  horn  her  antagonist.  She  is  at  least  twice 
as  formidable  an  antao-onist  as  a  bull. 

The  next  time  I  saw  wild  cattle  was  once  again  upon  Punta 
Bandera,  and  upon  this  occasion  I  had  my  first  shot.  It  was  early 
in  the  morning  when  I  made  out  the  point  with  the  glasses,  feeding 
about  half-way  up  a  spur  of  the  mountain-side.  Determined  this 
time  not  to  be  disappointed,  a  whole  day  was  spent  in  a  series  of 
very  careful  manoeuvres.  All  went  well  until  I  entered  a  patch  of 
dry  dead  growth,  so  thick  as  to  make  it  impossible  to  move  with- 
out giving  audible  indication  of  one's  presence.  While  lying 
among  this  stuff  debating  what  course  to  pursue,  to  my  delight  a 
black  and  white  bull,  evidently  the  leader  of  the  herd,  rose,  grunted 
once  or  twice,  and,  followed  by  the  whole  of  his  companions,  began 
to  come  towards  me.  He  got  to  within  150  yards,  and  there 
coming  upon  the  edge  of  the  dry  stuff  among  which  I  lay  hidden, 
turned  tail  and  moved  slowly  in  the  opposite  direction.  To  shoot 
throuo-h  the  underofrowth,  which  was  about  five  feet  high,  was,  of 
course,  impossible.  Yet  there  was  no  chance  of  the  animals,  while 
roving  in  search  of  pasture,  reaching  any  better  position  with  regard 
to  me.  while  any  movement  on  my  part  to  approach  them  must 
have  been  through  the  dead  bushes.  There  was  nothing  for  it 
then  but  to  stand  up  and  take  the  chance  of  a  shot.  A  tv^  ig 
snapped  in  my  rising  and  the  herd  charged  furiously  away.  A  red 
bull,  which  had  travelled  higher  than  his  fellows  upon  the  slope  of 
the  mountain,  gave  very  much  the  best  chance  as  he  raced  along 
nearly  broadside  on. 

He  turned  a  complete  somersault  to  the  shot  and  lay  so  still 
that  I  thought  I  had  killed  him.  As  I  went  towards  him,  however, 
he  scrambled  to  his  feet  and  galloped  after  the  retreating  herd,  and 
although  upon  their  tracks  for  the  greater  part  of  the  evening,  at  no 
point  on  the  way,  nor  at  the  spot  where  he  had  fallen,  did  I  find  any 
traces  of  blood,  I  therefore  concluded  that  he  had  put  his  foot  in  a 
hole,  and  that  I  had  missed  him  clean  Since  my  return  I  have 
heard  the  end  of  the  history.      The  red  bull  was  found  dead  quite 


^-.-.^ 


WILD  CATTLE  231 

close  to  where  1  had  shot  him.      He  was,  I  understand,  hit  through 
the  lunofs. 

After  this  shot  on  Punta  Bandera,  the  herd  left  that  locality,  as 
they  invariably  do.  and  most  of  the  remainder  of  our  hunting-  took 
place  upon  the  Lake  Rica,  or  southern  side,  of  the  great  mountain 
One  of  the  pleasantest  days  we  enjoyed  was  upon  Mount  Frias 
where  a  large  point  of  cattle  had  gone  up  beyond  the  snow-line. 
On  that  occasion,  when  above  the  snow-line,  I  saw  a  pampa-fox, 
some  "uanaco  and  a  few  ostriches.  Quite  a  number  of  small 
birds  that  I  was  unable  to  identify,  as  I  could  not  shoot  them,  were 
feeding  upon  a  red  berry  which  grows  beneath  the  snow. 

I  think  of  earthly  situations  I  would  choose  that  for  the  locatioii 
of  my  happy  hunting-ground  where  life  throbs  and  quickens  in  the 
keen  air,  and  where,  in  the  shelter  of  the  black  forest  of  antarctic 
beech-trees,  one  can  hear  the  wind  from  the  snows  moaning  and 
crying  among  the  tree-tops,  and  dropping  the  leaves,  painted  with 
red  and  yellow,  upon  the  soft  mossy  mid-forest  carpet. 

While  on  Mount  Frias  my  attention  was  drawn  away  from  the 
cattle  by  what  1  took  to  be  an  instance  of  albinism  in  the  guanaco. 
There  was  an  immense  herd  of  five  hundred  or  perhaps  more  in  an 
open  hollow,  and  among  them  I  observed  a  very  white  specimen, 
but  on  looking  at  it  through  the  glasses  it  proved  to  be  piebald 
rather  than  trulv  white. 

My  next  excursion  was  made  on  much  lower  ground  in 
the  direction  of  Lake  Rica.  We  had  observed  some  spots  to 
which  a  herd  returned  niijht  after  nioht.*  The  success  with 
which  the  herds  can  pick  their  way  over  bad  ground  such  as 
this  and  through  trees,  and  most  of  all  across  the  giant  trunks, 
decaying  and  rotten,  many  of  which  must  have  fallen  years  ago, 
is  extraordinary.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  openings  broken  by 
the  passage  of  the  cattle,  we  should  have  been  unable  to  penetrate 
the  denser  parts  of  the  woods  without  axes.  In  sj)ite  of  his 
being   such    a    heavy  brute,   a  bull   can   always  overtake  a  horse 

*  To  hunt  this  swampy  ground  in  shooting-lioots  is  an  unnecessary  handicap,  for 
the  footing  is  so  soft  that  one  sinks  to  the  knee  in  the  worst  places.  A  pair  of  string- 
shoes  called  "  alpargatas  "  are  the  most  useful  and  suitable  footgear  for  this  work,  and 
the  gain  of  their  lightness  is  an  added  advantage. 


232         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

in    these   spongy  swamps,  or   indeed   in  most  cases  over  very  bad 
oTound. 

In  the  winter,  which  was  now  only  too  quickly  coming-  upon  us, 
wild-cattle  shootino-  becomes,  as  docs  the  shooting  of  all  rame  in 
Patagonia,  much  easier  than  it  ever  is  during  the  rest  of  the  year- 
The  herds  descend  to  the  low  ground,  being"  driven  downwards  by 
degrees  while  the  snows  creep  day  by  day  lower  on  the  mountain- 
sides. As  they  desert  the  heights  the  area  in  which  one  may  expect 
to  meet  them  naturally  becomes  smaller,  and  on  the  more  level 
country  they  can  be  followed  with  less  trouble.  The  hunting  in  this 
big-  forest  was  quite  different  to  that  on  Punta  Bandera,  the  sole 
method  here  being-  to  find  comparatively  fresh  tracks  and  follow 
them  up,  there  being  no  possibility  among-  that  dense  growth  of 
spying  animals  from  a  distance. 

One  da\-  I  had  entered  an  extremely  wet  and  boggy  strip  of 
forest  and  came  upon  new  tracks,  which  I  followed  in  and  out 
among-  the  trees  for  some  hours.  At  length  they  led  me  up 
another  hill  into  another  belt  of  forest.  I  remember  that  under 
the  hill  I  took  a  "spell,"  and  at  that  moment,  although  I  could 
not  see  them,  the  cattle  were  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
of  me.  Fortunately  I  was  very  quiet  and  did  not  light  my  pipe, 
but  presently  went  on.  Arrived  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  I  peered 
through  the  branches  and  saw  a  fine  brindled  bull  just  in  the  act 
of  rising  to  his  feet.  One  of  the  outlying  cows  had  winded  me 
and  had  given  the  alarm.  My  bull  was  oflT  at  a  gallop,  and  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  to  send  the  heavy  Paradox  bullet  into  the 
only  part  of  him  that  was  visible  as  he  dashed  away.  The  shot 
took  effect,  he  staggered  but  the  second  barrel  brought  him  down 
in  good  earnest.  A  third  hit  him  in  the  centre  of  the  forehead, 
which  is  a  deadly  shot  indeed,  but  with  a  smallbore  rifle  one  must  be 
careful  to  place  one's  bullet  clear  of  the  shaggy  curl.  The  first  shot 
had,  I  discovered,  gone  forward  and  upward,  touching  the  backbone; 
the  second  was  a  fair  behind  the  shoulder  shot.  I  write  this  to  illus- 
trate the  amount  of  shooting  that  a  wild  bull  will  sometimes  take. 

There  are  few  higher  joys  in  a  sportsman's  life  than  the  pipe 
which  he  smokes  after  a  successful  shot,  but  the  skinnino-  of  the 
quarry    that    comes    later   is    a    very   different    matter.      This    is 


■J 
y. 

y. 
y. 


y. 

■f. 


r. 


N 


WILD  CATTLE 


233 


especially  the  case   when  the  animal   has  dropped  in  such  a  spot 
that  one  cannot  turn  it  over  owing  to  its  weight. 

For  this  forest  shooting  a  12-bore  Paradox  or  jungle-gun   is  as 


KDGE    OF    FOREST 


good  as  any.     I  had  one  which  was  made  for  me  by  Jeffrey  and  Co., 
and  with  it  one  could  make  a  very  decent  pattern  at  seventy  yards. 
In  open  ground   I  generally  used  a  Mauser,  but  this  rifle  was,  of 
course,  not  heavy  enough  for  forest  shooting  at  a  dangerous  quarry, 
where  most  of  the  shots  were  within  forty  yards. 

Once  again  on  Punta  Bandera  I  saw  the  big  yellow  bull.  One 
day  I  watched  the  great  herd  of  wild  cattle  straggling  slowly  down 
the  opposite  hillside,  the  cows  with  their  calves  trotting  alongside 
th(,'m,  and  the  magnificent  yellow  bull  bringing  uj)  the  rear  in 
solitary  state.  They  were  in  a  hopelessly  unget-at-able  position, 
so  that  one  could  onlv  watch  them.  The  air  was  so  clear  thai,  with 
the  telescope,  it  was  possible  to  make  out  the  tracks  ot  ei'.ch 
separate  animal  as  the  herd  descended  the  incline. 

While   I  was  still   engaged   in  watching  the  cattle,  I  saw  some- 


234         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

thing-  brown  move  on  a  knoll  above  me  and  about  four  hundred- 
yards  distant.  A  huemul  doe  had  appeared  upon  it.  She  was  not 
frightened,  and  was  entirely  unaw^are  of  my  proximity.  Soon  she 
was  joined  by  a  buck,  a  four-pointer  with  nice  clean  horns.  There 
were  now  two  sporting  interests  in  the  landscape,  the  greater  and 
the  less.  The  cattle  had  turned  and  w^ere  m.oving  relentlessly 
upwards  over  bare  ground  where  a  stalk  was  out  of  the  question.  I 
turned  my  attention  therefore  again  upon  the  huemules,  from  whom 
1  found  myself  separated  by  two  deep  gullies. 

In  an  hour's  time  the  cattle  had  diminished  to  mere  specks 
upon  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  a  strong  wind  having  arisen,, 
which  blew  from  the  huemules  towards  me,  I  thought  I  might 
safely  try  a  shot  at  the  buck.  It  knocked  him  clean  head  over 
heels.  He  proved  to  be  in  line  coat,  and  I  at  once  set  to  work  to 
skin  him.  By  the  time  I  had  finished  it  had  grown  quite  dark. 
As  for  the  herd,  they  were  too  clever  for  me.  I  never  sighted 
them  again,  but  that  big  yellow  bull  I  shall  often  see  in  dreams. 
Perhaps  I  may  be  permitted  to  meet  with  him  when  I  attain 
to  the  happy  hunting-ground  of  my  desires. 

Apart  from  the  rifle,  there  are  other  ways  of  hunting  wild  cattle, 
but  in  the  practice  of  these  open  ground  is  naturally  a  necessity. 
Boleadores  will  rarely  stay  on  a  bull,  but  the  lasso  is  an  efficient 
weapon,  and  on  horseback  a  Mauser  pistol  will  take  a  lot  of  beat- 
ing. In  the  last  instance  the  hunter  gallops  level  with  his 
quarry  and  trusts  to  his  horse  to  carry  him  clear  of  danger  in 
case  of  accident.  As  a  rule,  wild  cattle  avoid  open  ground,  and 
if  they  chance  to  be  away  from  the  cover  of  the  forest  keep  a 
sharp  watch.  Their  hides  arc  worth  about  £\  more  or  less 
when  sold  in  the  settlements,  a  value  which  is  enough  to  turn 
every  man's  hand  against  them,  were  there  any  men  in  those  dis- 
tricts whose  hands  might  be  so  turned.  Put  the  wild  cow  will  long 
continue  to  breed  in  her  chosen  solitudes,  and  indeed  she  is  well 
able  to  take  care  of  herself.  From  all  I  saw  of  wild  cattle,  they 
yield  the  palm  as  a  sporting  animal  to  few  others  in  the  world. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

ON    THE    FIRST    ATTITUDE   OF    WILD    ANIMALS    TOWARDS    MAN 

Opportunities  for  observation  rare — Migration  of  guanaco  limited — Guanaco 
and  man — Upright  and  crawling  attitudes — Will  allow  approach  with  horses — 
Tame  near  farms — Easily  domesticated — Curious — Shyness  of  ostrich — 
Huemul  curious  and  confiding — Instances — Easily  rendered  timid — Puma 
cowardly — Attacks  upon  man — Tame  cubs — -Cordillera  wolf — Very  fearless — 
Instances — Pampa-fox  also  fearless,  but  in  less  degree — Resume  of  evidence. 

It  will  be  conceded  that  few  subjects  have  more  interest  than  the 
attitude  assumed  by  wild  animals  towards  man  on  first  acquaintance 
with  him.  I  think  it  may  be  claimed  that  w^e  had  exceptional  oppor- 
tunities for  the  study  of  this  very  important  question.  In  most  other 
districts  into  which  white  men  have  passed  for  the  first  time,  they 
have  usually  been  preceded  by  aborigines,  who  have  made  that 
declaration  of  war  which  must  invariablv  be  o-iven  forth  between 
men  and  /cr^  naturce.  But  in  Patagonia,  when  the  beat  of  the 
Tehuelches  is  left  behind,  there  are  man\-  places  to  which  one  may 
penetrate  where  the  animals  have  never  before  seen  man.  We 
here  come  to  a  question  which  is  as  old  as  the  world — what  were 
the  oritrinal  relations  existincr  between  man  and  beast?  On  man's 
side  we  know  the  position  ;  on  that  of  the  wild  animal  we  can 
rarely  obtain  evidence  at  first  hand,  especialK  in  these  latter  da\s, 
when  the  earth  is  overrun  and  populated  in  almost  every  habitable 
reijion. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  description  given  of  Patagonia  that 
some  of  its  remoter  portions  offer  a  unique  field  for  observing  the 
effect  (»r  man's  ap])earance  on  the  behaxiour  ot  animals  that  have 
had  no  previous  knowledge  of  him.  These  })laces  present  some 
of  the  few  localities  left  untouched  b\-  the  presence  of  human 
beings.  The  value  of  any  evidence  still  obtainabk.'  as  to  the  bearing 
of  wild  creatures  when  1  rought  into  contact  with  human  beings  for 


236         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

the  first  time  can  therefore  hardly  be  over-estimated.  The  chances 
of  obscrxinL;-  details  of  conduct  and  the  spontaneous  attitude  of 
animals  under  these  conditions  have  unfortunately  become  exceed- 
ingly rare  and  are  daily  gTowIng  rarer.  Soon  there  will  be  no 
spot  where  such  facts  can  be  collected.  Knowing  this,  I  made 
every  effort  to  gather  all  the  data  possible. 

Large  herds  of  guanaco  patrol  the  country  in  all  directions  ; 
how  far  they  are  local  in  their  habits  it  is  not  easy  to  decide,  but  I 
was  informed  by  several  people  that  such  and  such  a  marked 
euanaco  had  been  in  such  a  district  since  such  and  such  a  winter, 
therefore  I  am  led  to  conclude  that  the  guanaco  are  more  or  less 
local  in  their  movements.  In  the  summer  they  are  to  be  found  on 
the  high  pampa,  and  in  the  winter  the  herds  descend  to  the  lower 
ground.  But  all  the  evidence  that  I  could  gather  pointed  to  the 
fact  that  this  periodic  migration  is  limited  in  extent,  and  that  certain 
herds  belong',  as  it  were,  to  certain  districts  and  live  and  die  within 
a  comparatively  small  area. 

During  peculiarly  hard  winters,  however,  they  will  gather  in 
very  large  herds  and  travel  a  good  distance  to  the  low  grounds, 
where  water  and  some  pasture  are  still  to  be  procured. 

The  guanacos  that  we  met  with  on  the  basalt  plateau  to  the 
south  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires  probably  visit  the  shores  of  the  lake 
durinir  the  winter  time.  In  the  inverse  order  of  thm^s  no  travellers 
ever  cross  the  basalt  plateau  in  summer,  nor  do  they  visit  the  lake 
in  winter  ;  we  may  therefore  conclude  that  the  guanaco  were  in 
that  region  unacquainted  with  man.  The  following  is  taken  from 
my  diary  while  we  were  crossing  the  plateau  : 

'' December  2Z. — To-day  we  saw  great  numbers  of  guanaco, 
many  of  which  have  in  all  probability  never  before  beheld  a  human 
being.  They  were  about  as  tame  as  English  park  deer,  allowing 
us  to  approach  on  foot  to  within  seventy  or  eighty  yards,  and,  in 
the  case  of  the  old  bucks,  to  within  fifty  yards.  The  females  were, 
of  course,  much  shyer.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight  to  watch  the  great 
herd  leaping  up  and  down  the  hillside  and  dashing  through  the 
outcrop  of  black  fragments  of  basalt.  The  bucks  almost  invariably 
kept  betw^een  us  and  their  females.  On  some  occasions,  when  I 
came  suddenly  round  a  hill  upon  a  herd,  the  old  buck  would  gallop 


ATTITUDE  OF  WILD  ANIMALS  TOWARDS  MAN     237 

up  between  me  and  the  herd  and  stalk  along",  uttering"  his  peculiar 
neighing-  cry.  There  were  numbers  of  young  guanacos  among 
these  herds.     These  very  quickly  attain  considerable  speed,  and 


m^' 


at  a  fortnifjht  old  o^ive  the  hounds  some  trouble  to  overtake 
them.  Younor  o-uanacos,  when  cut  off  froni  the  herd,  can  be 
approached  by  man.  This  morning  I  succeeded  in  galloping 
between  one  and  the  herd  to  which  it  belong-ed.  He  allowed  me, 
on  horseback,  to  come  within  six  yards,  but  on  a  dog  appearing  in 
the  distance  he  at  once  dashed  away.  Young  guanacos,  when 
separated  from  the  herd,  will  follow  a  troop  of  horses,  running 
fearlesslv  beside  the  riders." 

In  contrast  to  the  above  I  give  a  record  of  another  meeting 
with  these  animals  at  a  later  date.  I  find  in  my  diary  on  Ma\-  13, 
1 90 1,  written  in  the  cafiado7i  of  the  River  Katarlna  at  the  upper 
Q\\<\  of  the  north-west  arm  of  Lake  Argentino,  as  follows  : 

"  I  saw  two  herds  of  guanacos,  which  were  certainly  unac- 
quaint(;d  with  man.  The\"  were  extremely  wild,  not  allowing"  me 
to  aj)proach  within  six  Inmdrcd  yards.  I  io-tla\"  hunted  these 
guanacos  with  the  idea  of  ol)st'r\ing  whether  they  would  take  to 
the  water,  or  perhaps  j)ass  into  the  forest,  which  was  i)Icntitul  in 
patches.     They  did  neither,  but  kept  to  the  bare  clitTs  on  the  eilge 


238         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

of  the  peninsula,  and  when  driv^en  away  from  die  cliffs  at  one  end 
simply  sought  the  shelter  of  the  cliffs  at  the  other." 

Again,  on  the  t;d)leland  between  the  River  de  los  Antiguos  and 
the  River  Jeinemeni  the  guanacos  were  extraordinarily  tame. 
Only  one  traveller  had  been  there  before  us  (Mr.  Waag).  The 
guanacos  permitted  us  to  advance  to  within  two  hundred  yards,  and 
one,  which  was  lying  down,  allowed  me  to  come  within  sixty  paces 
walking  upright.  At  this  distance  I  determined  to  see  what  effect 
the  crawling  attitude  would  produce,  and  for  this  purpose  I  retreated 
and  again  approached,  this  time  on  my  hands  and  knees.  I  was 
still  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  animal  when  he  got  up, 
and  I  had  not  proceeded  many  steps  nearer  before  he  bounded 
away.  From  this  instance  it  may  be  deduced  that  while  the  herd 
evidently  understood  and  feared  the  approach  of  predatory  enemies 
in  a  crouching  attitude,  man  upright  in  his  natural  position  inspired 
relatively  little  fear  but  rather  curiosity,  for  the  guanaco  remained 
lying  down  and  staring  at  me  as  long  as  I  appeared  walking  to- 
wards him. 

On  yet  another  occasion  in  the  canadon  of  the  River  Katarinn, 
the  first  sight  that  a  herd,  seventeen  strong,  had  of  us,  was  when 
we  were  on  board  the  launch.  They  raced  up  to  the  bank  of  the 
river  and  stared  at  us,  only  darting  off  ten  or  twelve  paces  when 
the  irrepressible  Bernardo  saluted  them  with  a  whistle.  Shortly 
afterwards  we  anchored  and  went  ashore,  but  the  guanacos  wou'd 
not  allow  us  on  foot  to  approach  within  half  a  mile,  although  when 
we  were  hidden  they  returned  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  launch 
without  fear.  In  the  evening  they  retired  far  up  the  valley,  where 
I  again  saw  them  upon  the  following  day.  They  were  very  timid, 
and  I  could  get  no  nearer  to  them  than  three  hundred  yards, 
although  I  made  one  or  two  attempts  to  do  so. 

There  was  one  point  which  was  distinctly  noticeable,  and  which 
these  observations  bear  out.  Guanacos,  unacquainted  with  man, 
will  allow  him  to  approach  in  the  first  instance  much  closer  if  he 
happens  to  be  accompanied  by  a  troop  of  horses,  as  was  the  case 
with  us  in  our  experience  of  the  herds  on  the  basalt  plateau.  In 
fact,  guanacos  will  reconnoitre  a  troop  of  horses,  even  though 
there  may  be  men  among  them,  at  a  very  much  shorter  distance 


ATTITUDE  OF  WILD  ANIMALS  TOWARDS  MAN    239 

than  they  will  venture  upon  with  regard  to  a  camp  or  a  group  of 
men  without  horses. 

Districts  where  the  Indians  hunt  the  guanaco  may  be  passed 
over  as  having  no  bearing  on  the  subject  in  hand.  There  the 
herds  are,  of  course,  extremely  wild  and  hard  of  approach.  But  it 
is  interesting  to  note  that  near  the  coast,  where  there  are  numbers 
•of  guanaco,  they  are  comparatively  tame.  Shepherds  on  horseback 
from  the  farms  pass  and  repass  within  sight  of  the  herds,  who  grow 
accustomed  to  the  experience  and  become  easy  of  access  to  within 
one  hundred  yards.* 

One  day  in  the  October  of  1900,  when  at  the  farm  of  Mr.  Green- 
shields  at  Bahia  Camerones,  I  took  a  Ion"-  ride  throuijh  the 
.cahadones  where  the  shepherds  were  wont  to  pass.  Again  and 
again  the  guanaco  herds  allowed  me  to  ride  up  close  to  them,  and 
I  invariably  found  that  a  single  animal  was  shyer  of  approach  than 
a  herd. 

Guanacos  are  very  easily  domesticated,  and  in  time  become  ob- 
trusively playful  and  affectionate.  It  is  a  favourite  trick  with  them 
to  come  behind  their  human  friends  rearing;  and  strikino-  them  in  the 
back  with  their  knees,  which  results  in  a  more  or  less  painful  fall. 

Curiosity  is  a  largely  developed  mental  characteristic  in  the 
ferce  natitrce  of  Patagonia.  The  first  and  overwhelming  impulse 
of  nearly  all  the  wild  creatures  (the  ostrich,  Rhea  dai'ivini,  excepted) 
appeared  to  be  to  investigate  the  aspect  and  actions  of  man. 
Upon  the  coast-farms  the  guanaco,  grown  blas(^  by  familiarity,  will 
not  take  any  interest  in  man's  movements  unless  he  indulges  in 
some  unusual  and  fantastic  antics,  such  as  lying  on  his  back  and 
kicking  his  legs  in  the  air.  Then  an  otherwise  indifferent  herd 
will  gather  and  watch  the  proceedings  with  much  attention. 

As  far  as  my  experience  goes,  no  wild  creature,  save  the  ostrich, 
on  first  beholding  man,  straightway  travels  out  of  sight.  All  the 
others,  according  to  whether  they  naturally  are  shv  or  the  reverse, 
retire  to  a  more  or  less  remote  distance,  and  from  there  watch  the 
doings  of  the  intruder  upon  their  solitudes. 

Of  PatacTonian  oame  the  least  hunted  is  the  deer  of  the  Andes 

'■■  Where  there  are  sheep,  ami  consequently  mutton  is  procurable,  the  guanaco  is 
rarely  hunted. 


240         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

{Xenelaplius  bisitlais).  We  came  in  contact  with  these  animals 
both  near  Lake  Buenos  Aires  and  Lake  Argentine.  At  the 
former  place,  my  friend,  Mr.  Waag,  had  marched  through  the 
Gorge  of  the  River  de  los  Antiguos,  where  most  of  my  observa- 
tions were  made.  As  he  was  working  very  hard  on  his  geo- 
graphical surveys  at  the  time,  he  did  not  slioot  much,  and  I  think 
it  more  than  probable  that  man  was  an  unknown  factor  of  existence 
to  the  huemules  of  that  region  before  we  came  upon  the  scene. 

My  observations  of  huemules  consistently  show  that  their  first 
attitude  towards  man  is  one  of  curiosity  and  confidence.  I  instance 
some  cases  to  bear  out  this  assertion. 

On  December  9,  1900,  I  had  just  shot  a  guanaco  upon  the 
western  shore  of  the  River  de  los  Antiguos,  when  a  huemul  buck 
about  a  year  old,  no  doubt  startled  by  the  noise,  dashed  past 
me  within  twenty  yards,  and,  catching  sight  of  me,  stopped  quite 
still  and  fixed  his  eyes  upon  me.  As  I  remained  motionless,  he 
advanced  several  paces  and  again  halted,  looking  at  me.  I  was 
sitting  upon  the  body  of  the  guanaco  I  had  killed,  the  wind 
happening  to  be  blowing  from  the  deer  towards  me.  We  kept 
these  respective  positions  for  about  five  minutes.  I  then  lit  my 
pipe.  At  the  scraping  of  the  match  he  retreated  a  little,  but 
gathering  courage  soon  paused  again.  I  rose  slowly  to  my  feet 
and  advanced  steadily  towards  him.  He  waited  until  I  was  quite 
close  before  he  sprang  away  and  disappeared  from  sight  up  the 
bari^anca. 

Again  in  ^lay  1901,  being  then  in  the  canadon  of  the  River 
Katarina  near  Lake  Argentino,  I  saw  from  the  boat  what  I 
took  to  be  the  horns  of  a  huemul  asfainst  the  backo^round  of 
the  low  forest.  I  landed  and  crossed  the  swamp  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  thicket.  Here,  coming  into  an  open  space,  I  saw 
the  buck  to  whom  the  horns  belonged.  Behind  him  the  head 
and  shoulders  of  a  doe  were  visible  projecting  from  a  bush.  I 
continued  to  walk  on  till  I  came  within  somethino-  like  one 
hundred  yards,  when  I  sat  down  behind  a  fragment  of  rock  and 
hid  myself  from  their  view.  The  sun  was,  I  remember,  but  a 
hands-breadth  above  the  Cordillera,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  that 
would   not    move    until    its    lower    rim    had    dipped    beneath  the 


ATTITUDE  OF  WILD  ANIMALS  TOWARDS  MAN    241 

snow-peaks.  At  the  time  I  had  set  for  myself  I  peered  round 
the  edge  of  the  rock  very  carefully — as  slowly  as  one  peers  when 
one  is  observing  the  movements  of  a  gaggle  of  Scotch  grey-lags. 
Imagine  my  surprise  when  there,  not  ten  yards  away,  appeared 
the  face  of  the  doe,  her  gaze  fixed  upon  mine  !  On  seeing  me 
thus  suddenly  she  ran  back  to  the  shelter  of  the  undergrowth 
from  which  she  had  oriofinallv  emerged,  and  from  which  the  buck 
durino  the  interval- had  not  stirred.  The  shades  of  evenintr  were 
fast  falling,  and  I  was  obliged  to  make  an  end  of  my  watching  for 
lack  of  licrht. 

But  undoubtedly  the  most  remarkable  example  of  the  natural 
tameness  of  the  huemul  occurred  on  May  9.  I  was  in  the  same 
cahadou,  and  on  this  occasion  had  the  luck  to  secure  a  photo- 
graph of  the  doe  as  she  went  away.  It  was  about  noon  that  I, 
being  on  my  way  up  the  caiiadon  in  a  northerly  direction,  heard 
a  stick  break  in  a  thicket  near  by,  and  a  moment  afterwards  a 
huemul  buck  came  into  view.  Fortunately  I  had  not  caught 
his  eye,  and  he  remained  looking  out  from  a  patch  of  bushes, 
wondering,  I  suppose,  what  strange  animal  this  could  be  that  was 
comine  towards  him.  Pretendino-  that  I  had  not  observed  him,  I 
threw  myself  down  among  the  high  grass  and  waited  for  develop- 
ments. The  buck  snorted  twice  or  thrice  and  advanced  to  within 
thirty  yards  of  where  I  lay.  He  stood  upon  the  side  of  a  hummock, 
flanked  by  his  two  hinds.  They  were  shortly  joined  by  a  third, 
which  came  up  out  of  the  hollow  behind  them.  I  lay  perfectly 
still.  The  buck  halted,  but  the  hinds  came  on  till  within  a  few  feet 
of  me.  The  buck  now  approached  on  the  right ;  he  was  a  four-pointer. 
The  does  had  winded  me.  Two  of  them  were  mature,  the  third 
a  half-grown  hind.  Before  five  minutes  were  over  the  hinds  had 
come  so  near  as  to  be  almost  touching  me.  Presently  the  half- 
orown  hind  sniffed  mv  boot  and  started  back,  taking  the  other 
three  with  her.  They  drew  nearer  a  second  time,  the  buck  coming 
within  a  yard  of  me,  and  dropping  his  horns  as  though  to  turn  me 
over.  I  did  not  (^uite  like  the  action,  as  it  might  have  meant  more 
than  a  mere  push,  and  therefore  raised  myself  genil\-  to  a  sitting- 
position.  The  deer  retreated  about  thirty  yards,  and  there  stood, 
not  taking   their  eyes  from   me  for  a  considerable  time.      Seeing 


242         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

that  no  further  approach  of  the  deer  was  Hkely,  I  finally  got  up  and 
went  my  way.  The  does  followed  me  for  fifty  yards  or  so,  the 
buck  remaining  stationary,  and  then  all  four  bounded  off  into  the 
woods  whence  they  had  come. 

In  spite  of  this  original  confidingness  exhibited  by  the  huemul 
to  man  when  unknown,  he  appears  to  be  readily  rendered  wild  and 
timid.  Burbury  saw  some  of  these  animals  near  the  Engineers' 
camp  above  Lake  Buenos  Aires.  They  had  probably  been  hunted 
by  Mr.  Waag's  party  and  were  excessively  wild,  flying  on  the 
farthest  glimpse  of  man.  This  observation  was  confirmed  by 
Humphrey  Jones,  who  told  me  that  the  huemules  living  in  the 
woods  near  the  Welsh  colonv  of  The  i6th  October  are  wilder  than 
any  other  creature,  and  that  to  shoot  one  is  a  feather  in  the  caps 
of  the  local  hunters.  I  cannot  say  whether  they  are  easily  tamed 
when  in  captivity,  for  I  came  across  no  instance  of  a  huemul  kept 
by  man. 

So  far,  then,  my  observations  on  the  huemul. 

Concerning  the  puma,  I  have  never  heard  of  any  man  being 
attacked  near  the  settlements  by  this  animal,  and,  indeed,  authentic 
instances  of  its  acting  as  the  assailant  are  very  few  and  far 
between.  All  those  of  which  I  gathered  reliable  evidence 
occurred  in  remote  places,  distant  from  the  beat  of  man.  Mr. 
Waag  told  me  of  a  puma  which  did  not  retreat  from  his  party 
in  the  Cordillera,  but  gave  manifest  signs  of  anger  and  a  readiness 
to  attack.  Another  case  is  that  of  Dr.  Francisco  P.  Moreno, 
who,  upon  the  banks  of  the  River  Leona,  a  river  which  flows 
between  Lake  Aroentmo  and  Lake  Viedma,  and  is  seldom 
visited,  was  attacked  by  a  puma.  He  was,  he  informs  me, 
walking  wrapped  in  the  skin  of  a  guanaco,  and  he  fancies  the 
animal  may  have  mistaken  him  for  a  guanaco.  It  sprang  upon 
his  shoulders  and  tore  him  under  the  chin  with  its  claws,  but  was 
luckily  beaten  off  by  his  companion  and  killed.  This  puma  was 
found  to  be  in  milk,  a  fact  which,  arguing  the  presence  of  her 
young  near  at  hand,  probably  accounted  for  the  unusual  outbreak 
of  fierceness.     The  young  were  searched  for  but  not  discovered. 

A  third  instance  is  that^of  Mr.  Arenberg,  one  of  the  Argentine 
Boundary    Commissioners,    who  was   mauled    by  a  puma  in  the 


ATTITUDE  OF  WILD  ANIMALS  TOWARDS  MAX     243 

neighbourhood  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires,  at  a  spot  probably  hitherto 
un visited  by  man.      He  was  seriously  wounded  in  the  face.     As 


Till.    HL'1-ML'L    Dti 


WIULII    TOUCllKU    Till-;    AUTHOR.       riU)TUGK.\l'MEI)    WITH    .-.MALI.    t.\.Ml.!CA 
AS    SHE    KETIKED 


a  rule,  the  puma  is  a  cowardly  animal,  and  is  frequently  killed  by 
the  Indians  with  a  bo/as.* 

Although,  during  the  whole  of  our  journty,  we  were  constantly 
coming  upon  evidences  of  the  presence  of  pumas  round  and  about 
our  camps,  it  was  not  until  we  had  entered  the  Cordillera  that 
they  actually  reconnoitred  the  camp.  In  a  forest  near  Lake 
Argentino,  one  moonlight  night,  two  pumas  circled  round  our 
camp,  and  for  uj)wards  of  half  an  hour  kept  uttering  their  peculiar 
cry.  Pumas  often  stampeded  our  horses  and  left  phi  in  tracks 
near  the  camp,  but  in  spite  of  this  they  killed  no  animal,  not  even 
a  dog,  belonging  to  us. 

=•=  This  method  li.is  been  referred  to  in  another  chapter. 


244         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Puma  cubs  In  captivity  become  very  tame.  One  settler 
whom  I  met  had  two  cubs  about  a  year  old.  They  were  attached 
to  their  new  home,  and  though  they  would  follow  a  horse  for 
two  hundred  yards  or  so,  they  invariably  returned  after  a  short 
distance  to  the  shanty  of  their  owner.  Another  puma  cub  had  been 
kept  by  Mr.  Cattle  at  Lake  Argentino.  This  cub  was  wont  to 
tight  battles  royal  with  the  hounds,  but  in  the  cold  of  winter  would 
lie  among  them  for  warmth.  All  these  cubs  were  those  of  Felis 
concolo7'-  puma.  So  long  as  they  were  well  fed  they  were  docile, 
but  when  hungry  their  fierce  nature  reasserted  itself  Mr.  Cattle 
had  finally  to  shoot  the  cub  that  belonged  to  him.  Mr.  Waring, 
however,  still  had  his  at  the  time  of  my  departure.  I  heard  these 
two  killed  a  colt  in  the  month  of  May 

The  study  of  the  Cordillera  wolf  {Canis  viagcllanicus)  from  the 
present  point  of  view  is  exceptionally  interesting.     To  this  animal 
man  is  practically  unknown,  and  it  manifested  the  most  utter  fear- 
lessness, when  brought  into  contact  with  human  beings,  during  our 
expedition.       This  wolf   will    advance   within    five    or    six    yards 
of  a  man   in  open  daylight ;    it  will  walk  over  him  when  asleep 
in   camp.      They  haunted  our  camps  about   Lake   Buenos  Aires, 
lurking  about  all  the  night  through    and    eating  everything  that 
came  within    their    reach  ;  then,   instead   of  departing  when  day- 
light came,   they  usually  remained  crouching  near  by,   and  put  in 
an  appearance  during  breakfast-time  with    an  absolute  disregard 
or  ignorance  of  probable  danger  from  the  neighbourhood  of  man. 
On   the    River   Fenix   one  of   these  wolves  came    into    Rosy- 
Camp  during  the   night,   stole    a   duck  and  a  goose,    and  further 
gnawed  my  rifle-slings  within  a  few  feet  of  where  I  was  sleeping. 
We  only  discovered  our   loss  at    dawn,   and   while   we  were  still 
discussing  it,   I    perceived   the   animal    itself  lying   under   a    bush 
close    at    hand    calmly    watching    us.      Deprived   of  breakfast.    I 
had  no  thought  of  mercy,  and  shot  her  with  a  Mauser.     She  was 
an    old    female.      That    night    her    mate     paid    us    a    visit,    and 
frightened  the  horses,  who  seem  to  fear  the  large  Cordillera  wolf 
almost  as  much  as  the  puma.      I  was  rather  crippled  at  the  time 
with  an  injury  to  my  knee,  and  was  sitting  by  the  fire.     I  happened 
to  look  up  and  caught  sight  of  the  wolf  standing  within  a  few 


f%^. 


ATTITUDE  OF  WILD  ANIMALS  TOWARDS  MAN     245 

yards  of  me.  He  quietly  returned  my  look  but  made  no  move- 
ment to  run  away.  In  a  moment  or  two  I  got  up  and  limped 
across  to  fetch  my  gun,  the  wolf  watching  me  with  interest,  but 
without  the  smallest  sign  of  apprehension.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
he  came  a  few  steps  nearer  to  me,  still  gazing  at  me  fixedly. 
He  also  joined  the  majority  in  a  very  short  space  of  time.  We 
could  not  afford  to  have  such  desperate  thieves  about  our  camp. 
At  another  place  in  the  same  neighbourhood  a  wolf,  coming  in 
to  investigate  our  camp,  was  attacked  by  m)-  big  deerhound 
Tom.  The  wolf  made  no  attempt  to  escape  but  met  his  foe 
with  a  fearful  bite,  and  in  the  end  we  had  to  go  to  Tom's  assist- 
ance before  the  wolf  could  be  killed. 

From  these  instances  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Cordillera  wolf 
has  absolutely  no  fear  of  man.  The  pampa  fox  shares  this 
characteristic,  but  possesses  it  in  a  much  less  prominent  degree. 
When  I  have  been  chasintr  one  of  these  latter  the  animal  has  in 
more  than  one  case  stopped  to  regard  me  steadfastly,  not  with  the 
timid  curiosity  of  the  huemul  but  with  a  fearless  stare.  Yet  these 
foxes  are  hunted  for  their  pelts.  One  evening  I  fired  at  a  pampa 
fox  and  missed  him.  He  retired  at  a  slow  lollop  while  I  pursued 
him.  When  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  had  been  covered,  he  halted, 
chose  a  bush,  deliberately  lay  down  and  waited  for  me,  his  muzzle 
sunk  upon  his  paws.  I  picked  up  a  handful  of  gravel  and  tossed  it 
at  him.  He  rose,  snarled,  looked  at  me  for  a  moment,  and  then 
walked  slowly  off. 

The  data  oiven  above  suffice  to  show   that  different   animals 

o 

assume  very  various  attitudes  with  regard  to  man  on  first  intro- 
duction to  knowledge  of  him.  Not  only  this,  but  animals  of  the 
same  species  behave  variously  under  these  circumstances.  My 
experience  of  Patagonian  wild  animals  goes  to  pro\e  thai  those 
to  whom  we  were  the  first  human  visitors  regarded  us  with 
extreme  curiosity,  and  though  in  some  cases  there  was  a  show  of 
timidity,  it  was  not  to  be  confounded  with  any  apprehension  of 
violence  at  our  hands. 

To  sum  up  the  relative  confidingness  of  the  animals  I  met  with, 
I  propose  to  take  the  distance  within  which  they  will  allow  man  to 
approach  as  a  sort  of  scale  : 


246         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Guanaco.  The  evidence  is  contradictory,  but  it  may  be  taken 
that  these  animals  will  aliow  a  man  to  proceed  toivards  them  to 
within  eighty  yards  ;  at  any  rate,  in  most  cases.  But  if  a  man 
remain  stationary,  they  will  be  inclined  to  approach  him  a  little 
nearer. 

Huemules  will  allow  man  to  approach  within  fifteen  yards.  It 
he  remain  perfectly  still,  they  will  go  almost  up  to  him. 

Puma  {Fe/is  concolor piund).  If  unacquainted  with  man,  will 
occasionally  attack  him. 

Cordillera  wolf.  Utterly  fearless  of  man.  W^ill,  if  approached 
too  closely,  show  sio;ns  of  taking  the  offensive.  Will  stand  over 
his  kill  until  the  human  intruder  is  within  a  foot  or  so. 

Pampa  fox.      Will  allow  approach  to  within  twenty  yards. 

I  have  already  described  the  attitude  of  all  these  animals 
towards  man  in  the  more  settled  districts,  with  the  one  exception 
of  the  Cordillera  wolf.  Concerning  this  animal  no  data,  so  far  as  I 
know%  exists,  as  his  range  does  not,  in  my  experience — I  am  here 
open  to  correction  —extend  beyond  the  foothills  of  the  Cordillera. 

The  whole  of  my  personal  knowledge  as  to  the  behaviour  of 
animals  toward  man  on  first  meeting  with  him  leads  me  to  believe 
that  none  but  extremely  broad  rules  can  be  laid  down  on  the  sub- 
ject. It  would  be  very  dif^cult  to  prophesy  the  precise  attitude 
likely  to  be  adopted  by  any  individual  animal  under  this  condition, 
for  the  evidence  concerning  animals  of  the  same  species  varies  so 
largely.  I  am,  therefore,  driven  to  believe  that  the  conduct  of 
any  given  animal  depends  on  its  own  special  turn  of  character  ; 
that  it  is,  in  fact,  a  matter  of  individual  temperament.  In  the  case 
of  a  group  of  animals,  the  note  of  the  behaviour  of  the  whole  group 
would  be  given  by  either  the  leader  of  the  herd,  or  would  depend 
on  the  first  instinctive  action  of  that  one  of  the  group  which  was 
the  first  to  perceive  the  strange  object. 

But,  having  stated  the  evidence  which  I  gathered,  it  will  be 
better  to  leave  others  to  draw  their  own  conclusions. 


CHAPTER   XVIII* 

THE    LARGER   MAMMALS   OF   PATAGONIA 

Little  known  of  natural  history  of  Patagonia — Distribution  of  principal 
mammals — Huemul— Range — Habits — Horns — Not  timid  in  remote  districts — 
Curiosity — Common  puma  — Immense  numbers — Destructive  habits — Method 
of  attack — Silent — ^Expert  in  hiding  lair — Pearson's  puma — Points  of  difference 
— Characteristics — Guanaco — Wide  range — Large  herds — Quantities  of  bones 
at  drinking-places — Hard  winters — Habits — Lack  of  affection  for  young — Pata- 
gonian  cavy — Arbitrary  limit  of  range — Weight — Habits — Armadillo. 

In  commencing  this  chapter  I  may  remark  that,  as  far  as  English 
publications  are  concerned.  I  have  found  nothing  bearing  on  the 
zoology  of  South-eastern  Patagonia  of  later  date  than  the  book  of 
Captain  Musters,  published  in  i87i,and  no  work  whatever  dealing 
with  the  mammals  of  the  Cordillera. 

Captain  Musters  traversed  the  country  with  a  tribe  of  Tehuelche 
Indians,  and  only  at  one  point  touched  the  Cordillera.  His  book 
is  essentially  a  book  treating  of  these  interesting  Indians,  and  he 
does  little  more  than  refer  now  and  then  to  the  zoology  of  the  land 
through  which  he  passed. 

Everv  one  is,  of  course,  familiar  wiih  the  volumes  to  which  the 
voyages  of  the  Adve7itiii'e  and  the  Beagle  gave  rise,  but  it  must 
be  remembered  that  the  most  westerly  point  attained  by  the  boat- 
party  from  the  Beagle,  which  ascended  the  Santa  Cruz  River,  was 
Mvsterv  Plain.  In  no  Knijlish  work  whatever  has  anv  mention 
been  made  of  the  huemul  {Xenelaphus  disiilcits),  a  deer  peculiar  to 
the  Southern  Cordillera,  nor  have  we  any  account  oi  the  habits  of 
the  {)uma,  or,  1  should  rather  say,  the  pumas  of  Patagonia. 
During  the  time  we  spent  in  Patagonia  we  covered  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  countr\,  and  passed  some  five  or  six   months  within 

This  chapter  embodies  a  paper  read  before  the  Zoological  Society  of  London  on 
April  15,  1902,  with  some  additional  details. 


248         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

the  Cordillera,  or  in  their  immediate  neighbourhood,  so  that  we 
had  ample  opportunity  for  making  some  interesting  observations. 

To  beein  with,  I  should  like  to  sav  a  few  words  concernino- 
the  distribution,  broadly  speaking,  of  the  principal  mammals  of 
Patagonia. 

Patagonia  is  divided  practically  into  sections  by  its  eastward- 
flowing  rivers.  To-day  the  jaguar  [Felis  onca)  does  not,  I  am 
informed,  range  south  of  the  River  Colorado,  although  specimens 
were  killed  in  the  vicinity  of  the  River  Negro  fifteen  years  ago. 
The  River  Deseado  forms  the  southern  limit  of  the  distribution  of 
the  Patagonian  cavy  i^Dolichotis  patagonica).  The  armadillo 
{Dasypus  ininutus)  is  never  found  south  of  the  River  Santa  Cruz. 
During  four  months  which  I  spent  south  of  that  river  I  did  not 
see  one,  but  when  for  three  clays  we  crossed  to  the  north  bank  we 
met  with  four  and  killed  one.  Dasypus  7ninutus  is  very  common 
in  the  neiorhbourhood  of  Bahia  Camerones.  The  ranoe  of  the 
huemul  {XenelapJms  bistt/ats)  is  confined  to  the  Cordillera  or  their 
close  proximity,  according  to  my  experience,  while  Fe/is  concolor 
puma,  and  the  guanaco  may  be  said  to  cover  the  entire  country 
as  regards  the  plains,  and  I  have  seen  the  animals  or  their  traces 
in  various  parts  of  the  Cordillera. 

So  much  for  oeneral  distribution. 

I.    Huemul  {Xenelaphtts  bistilcus). 

iyHuemul  or  Gue7nal  of  the  Argentines  and  Chilians  ;  Ciervo  of 
the  Gauchos  of  Southern  Patagonia  ;  Shoan  of  the  Tehuelches.) 

In  the  neitrhbourhood  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires  this  beautiful 
deer  first  came  under  my  observation.  On  the  south  side  of  the 
River  de  los  Antiguos  I  saw  a  buck  (which  I  shot),  two  does  and 
a  pricket.  I  was  told  by  my  Gaucho,  Humphrey  Jones,  that  the 
huemul  is  found  in  the  forests  as  far  north  as  the  Welsh  colony  of 
The  1 6th  October,  about  lat.  43*^  ;  on  the  south  its  range  extends  to 
the  Straits  of  Magellan.  The  easterl)'  limit  of  their  present  habitat 
may  be  said  to  be  the  foothills  of  the  Andes.  Dr.  F.  P.  Moreno, 
however,  states  that  these  animals  have  been  seen  in  the  hills  in 
the  vicinity  of  Port  Desire,  on  the  Atlantic  Coast  :  I  do  not  think 
that  they  are  any  longer  to  be  found  there.  As  far  as  my  personal 
observations  go,  I  never  came  across  a  specimen  farther  east  than 


THE  LARGER  MAMMALS  OF  PATAGONIA        249 

a  couple  of  miles  from  the  shore  of  Lake  Buenos  Aires  upon  its 
north-eastern  side.  The  Indians  said  that  these  deer  were  at  one 
time  more  numerous  in  that  reo-ion. 

Durinp-  the  summer   the   huemules  leave  the   lower  orounds, 


BEST   HEAD   OF    HUKMUL   {XEXHL.IPHLS  BISULCU^)   SHOT    BY    THE    AUTHOR.       SIDE    VIEW 

(Photo  by  IC  //.  lirigden,  Horsham) 


where  the  mosquitoes  trouble  them,  and  travel  up  to  the  snow-line 
of  the  Cordillera  and  even  beyond  it.  At  this  season  I  never  saw 
a  large  herd,  but  in  the  winter  Mr.  Cattle,  a  pioneer  li\inL;-  near 
Lake  Aroentino,  informed  me  that  he  had  seen  a  larw  herd  ot 
over  a  hundred  strong-  that  visited  the  lake.  In  the  warmer 
weather  1  noticed  them  usually  in  small  parties  of  two  or  three, 
seldom  more. 

These  animals  are  in  the  habit  of  wandering  outside  the  forests 
in  the  evening-  and  forenoon,  but  in  the  afternoon  thev  generallv 
retire  to  their  shelter,  where  they  often  lie  down.  I  have  found 
them  inhabiting  the  margins  of  the  dense  forests  ui)on  the  slopes 
of  the    Cordillera  which    border    the    lakes.      Thev  are  excellent 


250         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

swimmers,  and  cross   the  broad  arms  of  Lake  Argentino  without 
hesitation. 

In  December  the  huemules  which  I  shot  were  sheddino'  their 
winter  coat,  and  I  noticed  the  bucks  were  farther  advanced  in  this 
matter  than  the  does.  There  were  a  few  scraps  of  velvet  chnging 
to  the  horns  of  one  of  the  bucks  which  I  shot  on  December  9, 
1 901.  It  is  curious  to  note  that  the  Indians,  on  seeing  my  rein- 
deer-skin sleeping-bag.  triumphantly  identified  it  as  being  made  of 
the  pelt  of  the  huemul ! 

The  best  head  that  I  secured  carried  five  points.  Mr.  Von 
Plaaten  llallermund,  of  the  Argentine  Boundary  Commission,  told 
me  lie  had  seen  a  huemul's  head  carrying  eight  points  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Lake  San  Martin.  One  of  my  peones,  Bernardo 
Hahansen,  who  had  penetrated  into  the  same  district,  said  he  had 
also  seen  an  eight-pointer.  Mr.  Cattle  and  his  companions  shot 
two  bucks,  both  of  which  were  four-pointers. 

Save  for  the  attacks  of  pumas,  the  huemul  lives  pretty  well  un- 
disturbed in  his  fastnesses.  The  Indians  do  not  hunt  them,  as  in 
the  forest-land  horses  and  bolcadorcs  are  comparatively  useless. 
They  do  occasionally  kill  a  few  of  these  deer,  however,  which  may 
have  strayed  to  the  foothills  or  to  the  shores  of  the  lakes. 

Huemules  are,  in  general,  very  confiding,  for  their  range  is 
confined  for  the  most  part  to  districts  where  they  have  little  chance 
of  making  acquaintance  with  the  human  race.  But  near  the  colony 
of  The  1 6th  October,  Jones  told  me  that  they  had  become  very 
wary  and  difficult  of  access,  as  was  to  be  expected  in  a  region  where 
they  are  constantly  hunted.  In  the  more  unpenetrated  parts  the 
buck  is  very  courageous  in  the  rutting  season,  and  has  been  known 
to  make  some  show  of  attacking  man.  On  open  ground,  in  my 
own  experience,  they  manifested  wonderfully  little  timidity,  and 
would  wait  for  the  approach  of  man,  but  inside  the  forests  they 
invariably  dashed  away  on  catching  a  glimpse  of  one  of  our  party. 
If,  however,  you  have  a  dog  with  you,  they  will  in  all  cases  take  to 
flight. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  I  have  given  various  illustrations  of 
the  natural  tameness  of  the  huemul. 

W'hen  it  has  observed  something  unusual  in  its  surroundings. 


THE  LARGER  MAMMALS  OF  PATAGONIA        251 

this  deer  will  remain  watching,  and  without  moving,  for  a  great 
length  of  time.  On  one  occasion  I  saw  near  Lake  Argentino  a 
buck  and  doe  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  1  was  lying  under 
a  bush  watching  some  wild  cattle,  a  herd  of  which  were  above  me 
acrainst  the  snow-line,  and  the  huemules  stood  and  watched  me  for 
nearly  an  hour.  They  were  some  ten  yards  from  each  other. 
Presently  the  cattle  moved,  and  I  followed  them  upwards.  I 
returned  unsuccessful  in  the  evening  to  the  spot,  not  having  fired  a 
shot,  and  found  the  two  deer  still  watching  my  horse,  which  was 
tied  up  on  the  shore  of  the  lake. 

On  one  or  two  occasions  when  I  have  fired  at  a  huemul 
the  others  of  the  herd  have  run  towards  the  noise.  Once  this 
happened  when  I  was  in  full  sight  of  the  animals. 

Musters,  in  his  travels  through  Patagonia,  mentions  a  "red" 
deer.  Of  this  I  could  find  no  trace,  so  that  in  all  probability  he 
alluded  to  the  huemul  under  that  name  ;  the  reddish  tinge  of  the 
huemul's  hair  lends  likelihood  to  this  suggestion. 

No.  2.   Puma  (Fe/is  concolor puma). 

{Leon  of  the  Argentines  ;  Go/  of  the  Tehuelches.) 

This  is  the  silver-grey  variety  of  puma  most  commonly  met 
with  in  Pataeonia.  The  distribution  of  this  animal  extends  over 
the  entire  country.  It  is  to  be  found  in  the  Cordillera  as  on  the 
pampas.  I  came  upon  tracks  of  this  animal  at  the  end  of  the 
north-west  fjord  of  Lake  Argentino  about  long.  73'  14',  and  I  also 
saw  a  puma  at  the  south-western  extremity  of  that  lake. 

Evidence  of  their  existence  accompanied  tlie  whole  itinerary  of 
the  expedition  throughout  the  entire  route  it  covered.  The  number 
of  pumas  in  Patagonia  is  very  great,  more  so  than  any  zoologist 
has  yet  given  an  idea  of  During  one  winter  two  pioneers  killed 
seventy-three  near  Lake  Argentino.  Near  San  Julian  immense 
numbers  are  yearly  destroyed,  but  lately,  owing  to  the  advent  oi 
settlers,  they  are  becoming  less  numerous.  At  Hahia  Camerones. 
on  the  farm  of  IMr.  Greenshields,  fourteen  pumas  were  killed 
during  the  winter  of  1900. 

A  female  killed  near  Santa  Cruz  measured  0  fi.  10  in.,  and  a 
male  killed  near  Lake  Argentino  8  ft.   i  in. 

The  puma  can  easily  be  galloped   down,  as  it  rarely   runs  more 


252         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

than  300  yards  or  a  quarter  of  a  mile  when  pursued  on  horseback. 
It  invariably  stands  at  bay  with  its  back  to  a  bush  or  a  rock. 

I  n  strono-  contradistinction  to  the  habit  of  the  Felis  onca 
(jaguar),  F.c.  puma,  when  hunting-,  kills  a  number  of  animals  from  a 
Hock  or  herd.  To  one  only  of  these  kills,  however,  does  it  return, 
and  it  always  makes  some  pretence  of  burying  the  victim  singled 
out  for  its  meal,  throwing  upon  the  body  in  many  cases  merely  a 
small  bunch  of  thorns.  This  custom  of  the  puma  is  frequently 
taken  advantage  of  by  the  shepherds,  who  poison  the  chosen 
carcass.  The  puma,  ninety  times  out  of  a  hundred,  makes  its  first 
meal  upon  the  entrails  of  the  victim  or  upon  the  thigh  inside  of  the 
groin. 

The  destruction  wrought  by  pumas  upon  flocks  of  sheep  is 
immense.  One  animal  killed  upwards  of  100  head  from  among  a 
single  llock.  One  night  alone  its  total  amounted  to  fourteen. 
Another  point  in  connection  with  the  predatory  habits  of  the  puma 
is  that  it  will  travel  a  longdistance,  even  as  much  as  ten  or  twelve 
miles,  after  killincr. 

its  method  of  attack,  judging  from  an  examination  of  its  victims, 
appears  to  be  to  spring  upon  the  shoulders  of  its  quarry  and  to 
break  its  neck.  Cases  are  reported  of  pumas  attacking  horses,  but 
no  instance  of  this  came  under  my  own  notice.  They  generally 
select  a  stormy  and  tempestuous  night  during  which  to  make  their 
depredations.  It  is  rather  curious,  as  occasionally  happens,  to  see 
a  herd  of  cows  with  their  calves  take  up  the  trail  of  a  puma  with  a 
great  deal  of  lowing  and  fuss,  but  they  do  not  follow  it  for  any 
distance. 

Darwin  writes  that  the  puma  is  a  very  silent  animal,  uttering 
no  cry  even  when  wounded,  and  only  rarely  during  the  breeding 
season.  One  moonlight  night,  in  a  forest  by  Lake  Argentino,  a 
couple  of  pumas  came  out  of  the  dark  and  began  to  walk  round 
and  round  the  camp,  and  continued  to  do  so  for  more  than  an  hour, 
all  the  time  keeping  up  their  peculiar  cry.  On  no  other  occasion 
— though,  as  I  have  said,  pumas  or  rather  the  evidences  of  their 
presence,  accompanied  us  through  our  long  journeys — did  I  hear 
them  break  silence. 

Pumas  are   more    often  destroyed    in   winter,   when  the  snow 


ti; 


z 

o 


THE  LARGER  MAMMALS  OF  PATAGONIA        253 

lies  on  the  "round,  and  their  tracks  can  be  followed  to  their  hidino-- 
places  ;  otherwise  they  are  so  marvellously  expert  in  concealing 
themselves  that  it  is  often  impossible  to  find  their  lair. 

Authentic  instances  of  pumas  having  attacked  man  are  few  ; 
but  some  have  certainly  occurred. 

No.  3.    Pearson's  Puma  (^Fe/is  concoloi^ pearsoni). 

On  my  return  from  Patagonia  I  brought  with  me  a  puma-skin, 
which  seemed  to  me  to  differ  in  some  essential  respects  from  any 
known  species.  Mr.  J.  G.  Millais,  on  examining  the  skin,  agreed 
with  me,  and  pointed  out  that  it  possessed  several  characteristics 
which  do  not  occur  in  Felis  concoloi^ puma.  I  took  the  skin  to  the 
Natural  History  Museum,  where  Mr.  Oldfield  Thomas  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  animal  was  a  sub-species  of  F  c.  puma,  and 
named  it  Felis  concoloJ^ pearsoni. 

The  chief  points  of  difference  between  the  two  species  are  as 
follows  :  The  very  different  general  colour,  F.c.  pearsoni  beino- 
reddish-fawn  instead  of  silver-grey.  The  proportionately  very 
short  tail ;  light  instead  of  dark  colour  on  the  backs  of  the  ears, 
which  are.  moreover,  sharply  pointed  in  the  case  of  the  new  sub- 
species, and  there  is  an  absence  of  the  dark  markings  round  the 
digital  pads  which  distinguishes  Felis  concolor p2ima. 

Several  Gauchos,  settlers  and  Indians  informed  me  that  there 
were  two  kinds  of  pumas  in  Patagonia,  one  being  very  common, 
silver-grey  in  colour  and  cowardly  ;  the  other  they  described  as 
rare,  much  fiercer,  of  a  reddish  colour,  and  somewhat  smaller  than 
tlie  common  grey  species.  ^Amongst  the  seventy- three  pumas 
killed  by  the  English  pioneers  near  Lake  Argentino,  one.  Mr. 
Cattle  told  me,  differed  very  much  from  the  ordinary  puma,  and 
judging  from  the  description  he  gave  of  it,  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
concluding  that  it  was  a  specimen  of  Felis  concolor  pearsoni. 

No.  4.   Guanaco  {Lama  liuanaclnis). 

(Guanaco  of  settlers,  Argentines  and  Chilians  ;  J\02i  of  the 
Tehuelches.) 

During  the  whole  course  of  our  lra\-cls  in  I'atagonia  (sa\c 
when  in  the  forests)  a  day  rarely  passed  wiihoui  our  secin^'- 
guanacos.  They  may  be  met  within  a  few  hours'  ride  of  any 
setdement.      The    range    of   the    guanaco    extends    all    over    the 


254 


THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


■—miSl^ 


^%. 


IIKAO    OK    (;UANACO 


plains  of  Patagonia.  In  m\'  experience  they  were  most  numerous 
in  the  Cahadou  Davis,  in  the  nei^jhbourhood  of  Bahia  Camerones, 
and  on  the  high  l^asaltic  tablelands  to  the  south  of  Lake  Buenos 

Aires.  At  the  base 
of  the  Cordillera  and 
in  some  of  the  river- 
valleys  under  the 
edge  of  the  moun- 
tains, the  range  of 
the  guanaco  crosses 
that  of  the  huemul. 
I  do  not  think, 
however,  that  the 
guanacos  ever  enter 
the  forest,  although 
I  have  seen  them  in 
the  open  patches 
amonorst  the  lower 
wooded  parts  of  the  Cordillera.  As  the  seasons  change  they  move 
from  higher  to  lower  ground,  but  these  migrations  are  limited,  and 
a  white  guanaco  has  been  observed  year  after  year  in  the  same 
neighbourhood.  During  the  time  I  spent  at  Lake  Argentino — 
from  P'ebruary  i  to  May  15 — I  saw  but  few  of  these  animals,  for 
at  that  season  all  the  herds  migrate  to  the  high  pampa.  A  herd 
four  or  five  hundred  strong  inhabited  tl.e  higher  plateaus  of 
Mount  Frias. 

FltzRoy,  in  his  "Voyages  of  the  AdventtLre  and  the  BcagU\'' 
writes,  "  Do  the  guanacos  approach  the  river  to  drink  when 
they  are  dying }  or  are  the  bones  and  remains  of  animals  eaten 
by  lions  or  by  Indians.^  or  are  they  washed  together  by  floods.'* 
Certain  it  is  that  they  are  remarkably  numerous  near  the  banks  of 
the  river  (Santa  Cruz),  but  not  so  elsewhere."  It  is  true  that, 
although  one  comes  upon  skeletons  of  these  animals  upon  the 
pampas,  they  are  not  crowded  together  as  they  are  in  the 
canadones  of  the  rivers  or  by  the  lakes  near  water.  At  the  edge 
ot"  a  lagoon  at  the  eastern  end  of  Mystery  Plain  I  saw  a  great 
number  of  skeletons  in  one  place,  possibly  the  very  ones  noted  by 


THE  LARGER  MAMMALS  OF  PATAGONIA        255 

FitzRoy.  They  extended  in  a  wide  track  down  the  hillside  and  to 
the  edgfe  of  the  water.  At  Lake  Viedma  the  marcjins  of  the 
lake,  near  the  outflow  of  the  Leona,  were  covered  with  their  skins 
and  bones.  The  meaning-  of  this  I  slathered  from  Mr.  Ernest 
Cattle.  He  told  me  that  in  the  winter  of  1899  enormous  numbers 
of  guanaco  sought  Lake  Argentino,  and  died  of  starvation  upon 
its  shores.  In  the  severities  of  winter  they  seek  drinking-places, 
where  there  are  large  masses  of  water  likely  to  be  unfrozen. 
The  few  last  winters  in  Patagonia  have  been  so  severe  as  to 
work  "^reat  havoc  amoncj  the  herds  of  si'uanaco. 

At  nii^htfall  "uanacos  crather  into  close  order,  a  larfje  herd  col- 
lecting  in  a  small  radius.  They  seem  to  choose  open  spaces  in 
which  to  pass  the  hours  of  darkness.  In  moments  of  danger  also 
thev  pack  together  denselv.  At  the  sound  of  a  shot,  the  outlvinLr 
members  of  a  herd  will  close  up  and  sway  their  long  necks  almost 
to  the  ground  in  unison.  I  see  that  Darwin  says  that  guanaco  are 
"generally  very  wild  and  wary."  In  places  where  they  are  hunted 
bv  the  Indians  this  is  undoubtedlv  the  case,  but  on  this  ix)int  no 
law  can  be  laid  down.  In  some  districts  the  o-nanaco  is  verv  diffi- 
cult  of  approach,  in  others  e.Ktremely  easy.  The  evidence  that  I 
can  adduce  concerning  this  point  I  ha\'e  given  at  length  in  another 
chapter.  Their  instinct  of  curiosity  is  very  largely  developed. 
Durinof  our  wanderino-s  I  studied  the  habits  of  the  o"uanaco  with 
ever-increasing  interest.  In  cold  weather  they  become  e.xtra 
ordinarily  tame,  and  will  permit  a  man  to  walk  among  them  as  a 
shepherd  walks  among  his  sheep. 

The  young  are  brought  forth  in  the  months  of  October, 
November  and  the  early  part  of  December.  In  Southern  I^ita- 
cfonia  some  are  born  as  late  as  the  end  of  December.  During 
the  period  of  copulation  the  bucks  fight  a  good  deal.  I  never 
shot  an  old  buck  which  was  not  seamed  and  scarred  with  the 
marks  of  these  contests.  When  fighting  they  give  vent  to  loud 
squeals  of  rage,  they  strike  with  their  forefeet  and  bite  savagely, 
mostly  at  the  neck  of  the  antagonist.  The  marks  of  these  bites 
are  often  deep  and  long.  The  skin  of  the  neck  is  luckily  very 
thick,  so  little  harm  is  done.  As  has  been  noted  before,  the 
guanacos  drop    all    their  dung   in   one  spot,  and  near  these   spots 


256         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

their  wallows  are  ordinaril\-  to  be  found.  I  saw  an  old  buck  spend 
a  long  time  over  his  toilette  while  his  wives  looked  on  and  waited. 
He  would  spend  nearly  half  an  hour  on  his  back  with  his  legs  in 
the  air,  at  intervals  standing  up  to  neigh  and  then  rolling  again. 


GUANACO   CHICO   (CAPTURED   WITH   LASSOo) 

A  o-uanaco  descendino-  a  hillside  is  a  truly  wonderful  sioht. 
He  proceeds  in  a  succession  of  bounds,  on  landing  from  each 
of  which  he  dips  his  head  almost  to  touch  his  forefeet.  The 
young  guanaco  keeps  up  with  his  elders  over  bad  ground  in  an 
extraordinary  way. 

The  power  of  affection  in  guanacos  towards  their  young  did  not 
appear  to  me  to  be  very  strong.  F"rom  time  to  time  I  had  to  shoot 
a  youno-  one  for  food.  Out  of  nine  instances  which  I  find  in  my 
diary,  only  twice  did  the  mother  halt  in  her  Ihght  to  see  what  had 
happened  to  her  offspring.  On  both  occasions  she  stopped  within 
two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  and  stared  towards  me.  If  dogs 
enter  into  the  chase  the  mother  deserts  to  a  greater  distance. 
One  day,  when  I  with  the  dogs  had  killed  a  young  guanaco,  I  left 
it  lying  and  rode  away  with  the  dogs.  Returning  alone,  I  took  up 
my  quarters  in  the  heart  of  a  bush,  from  whence  I  observed 
the  herd  to  which  the  mother  belonged.  They  did  not  return  nearer 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  spot.       On  another  occasion  when 


THE  LARGER  MAMMALS  OF  PATAGONIA        257 

I  shot  a  young  guanaco  and  concealed  myself  for  the  same  reason, 
the  whole  herd  came  back  and,  mountinsran  eminence  in  the  neio^h- 
bourhood,  scanned  the  scene  of  the  disaster.  They  did  not,  how- 
ever, venture  near  the  place  where  the  quarry  was  lying.  Curiously 
enough,  wild  cattle,  though  much  more  difficult  of  approach  than 
guanaco,  often  come  back  in  the  night  lowing  and  bellowing  to 
visit  the  spot  where  a  herd-mate  has  been  killed,  but  before  dawn 
they  invariably  leave  that  part  of  the  forest. 

The  young  guanaco  is  an  easy  quarry.  We  caught  a  consider- 
able number  of  them  for  food  with  the  aid  of  the  hounds. 

On  one  occasion  a  young  one  was  simply  headed  off  from  the 
herd,  its  portrait  taken,  and  then  it  was  set  free  again. 

No.  5.    Patagonian  cavy  {Dolichotis patagonicd). 

(Called  "cavy"  or  "  hare  "  indiscriminately  by  the  I^nglish 
residents  ;  liebre  by  the  Argentines  and  Chilians  ;  PaaJii  by  the 
Tehuelches.) 

The  River  Deseado  forms  the  southern  limit  of  the  distribution 
of  the  Patagonian  cavy.  In  1833  Darwin  writes  concerning  this 
animal,  "  They  are  found  as  far  north  as  the  Sierra  Tapalguen 
(lat.  2^Y  ^d).  and  their  southern  limit  is  between  Port  Desire  and 
San  Julian,  where  there  is  no  change  in  the  nature  of  the  country." 
As  far  as  my  experience  goes,  I  never  observed  a  caw  after 
October  23,  upon  which  day  I  counted  fourteen  upon  the  pampa 
between  Lake  Musters  and  the  settlement  of  Colohuapi.  The 
residents  of  Colohuapi  informed  me  that  the  place  formed  the 
southern  limit  of  the  distribution  of  the  cavy.  It  is,  of  course, 
impossible  to  lay  down  an  exact  line,  but  1  think  it  safe  to  sa\-  th.u 
the  range  of  the  cavy  does  not  extend  south  of  the  46th  parallel. 
Phis  limit  is  the  more  remarkable  inasmuch  as  the  countrv  south 
ot  lat.  46"  does  not  in  any  way  materially  differ  from  that  oxcr 
which  the  caw  is  commonlv  to  be  met  with.  One  nK)st  often  finds 
these  animals  on  patches  of  dry  mud.  They  are  comparatively  easy 
to  stalk,  as  easy  as  an  English  rabbit.  The  best  method  of  shooting 
them  is,  of  course,  with  the  rille,  though  occasionallv  you  mav  start 
them  from  a  thicket  and  shoot  them  as  vou  would  an  l-'nu'lish  hare 
with  a  shot-'>Lin.  Thev  '>enerall\-  wei'-h  between  iS  11).  ami  2^  lb., 
thouij'h  I  heard  of  one  wliich   I   was  assured  weiijhed   ;i   lb. 

R 


258         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

The  cavy  will  often  lead  the  hounds  a  good  chase,  especially 
where  the  ground  is  broken,  in  such  places  frequently  making-  its 
escape. 

After  being  frightened  it  very  soon  makes  its  reappearance, 
and  when  it  actually  takes  to  flight  it  rarely  goes  more  than  a 
hundred  yards  before  it  turns  to  see  whether  it  is  an  object  of 
pursuit.  This  is  only  the  case  when  man  alone  is  the  pursuer  ; 
when  dogs  are  present  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost  in  speculation  of 
any  kind. 

No.  6.   Armadillo  (Dasypus  mimdtis). 

{Pic/iy  of  the  Argentines  and  Chilians  ;  A  no  of  the 
Tehuelches.) 

This  animal  is  never  found  south  of  the  River  Santa  Cruz. 
During  the  four  months  I  spent  south  of  that  river  I  did  not  see 
one,  but  when  for  three  days  we  crossed  to  the  north  bank  we 
met  with  four  and  killed  one,  as  I  have  before  mentioned.  Dasypus 
mimitus  is  very  common  in  the  vicinity  of  Bahia  Camerones.  I 
saw  no  specimen  in  the  forests  of  the  Andes,  but  near  Lake  Buenos 
Aires  and  Lake  Viedma  we  found  them  about  the  foothills. 

No.  7.  The  Grey  or  Pampa  Fox  ;  Zorro  of  the  Argentines  ; 
Palth  of  the  Tehuelches. 

To  the  east  of  the  Andes,  the  pampa  fox  is  to  be  met  with 
practically  everywhere.  There  are  two  varieties  of  foxes  upon 
the  pampa.  The  common  pampa  variety  is  a  most  inveterate 
thief,  and  causes  endless  trouble  to  travellers  by  eating  all  and 
anything  that  the  wind  may  blow  down  from  the  bushes,  upon 
which  one's  belongings  are  generally  hung  by  way  of  guarding 
against  their  depredations.  If  a  horse  is  sogacd  out  with  a 
cabreslo  of  hide,  the  foxes  will  very  often  gnaw  through  the 
cabrcsto  and  set  the  horse  free.  This  trick  has  cost  the  life  of 
more  than  one  Gaucho,  who,  travelling  alone  upon  the  pampa,  in 
some  district  Inindrcds  of  miles  away  from  human  habitations, 
has  been  left  (|uite  helpless  without  his  horse,  unable  to  use  his 
tolas  with  effect  on  foot,  and  so  has  starved  to  death. 

In  my  experience  the  range  of  the  ^rey  fox  seems  to  cease  at 
the  foothills  of  the  Cordillera,  where  the  Magellan  wolf  (C^;//.v  Diagel- 
lanicus)  is  to  be  found.      Of  course,  in  making  this  statement  I  am 


THE  LARGER  MAMMALS  OF  PATAGONIA        259 

open  to  correction.  I  can  merely  state  that,  during-  the  time  I  spent 
at  Lake  Buenos  Aires  and  Lake  Argentino,  I  never  saw  a  pampa 
fox.  although  evidences  of  their  presence  in  the  way  of  tracks  were 
frequent,  upon  the  north  shore  of  the  former  lake.  Yet  directly 
one  ascended  the  range  of  the  hills  towards  the  River  Fenix,  pampa 
foxes  were  to  be  seen.  On  the  top  of  Mount  b>ias  I  saw  a  pampa 
fox  in  the  snow.  I  never  came  upon  the  pampa  fox  in  the  forests 
which  grow  upon  the  slopes  of  the  Cordillera. 

The  fearlessness  of  the  grey  pampa  fox  is  remarkable,  even  in 
districts  where  it  is  chased  by  the  Indians  and  their  dogs.  The 
pelts  are  much  used  for  making  capas  or  fur  cloaks.  During  the 
early  part  of  January  1901,  upon  the  pampa  outside  the  Cordillera, 
we  continually  came  upon  half-grown  pampa  foxes  in  twos  and 
threes.      Until  they  saw  the  dogs  they  never  took  to  flight. 

No.  8.   Q,ord^A\^rA\\o\{  {Canis  iiiagellanicus). 

This  is  the  animal  locally  known  as  the  Cordillera  fox.  I  have 
elsewhere  touched  upon  its  strongest  characteristic  of  courage, 
and  also  the  dread  it  inspires  among  horses.  It  is,  of  course,  a 
much  larger  animal  than  the  pampa  fox,  which  latter  can  wander 
about  among  the  troop  without  causing  any  disturbance.  A  single 
Cordillera  wolf  will  attack  young  huemules  as  well  as  the  young  of 
the  euanaco.  Although  found  in  the  forest,  this  animal  also 
frequents  the  plains  at  the  foothills  of  the  Cordillera.  Personally 
I  never  observed  it  farther  east  than  the  River  Fenix.  In  the  one 
case  that  came  under  my  observation,  when  sheep  had  been 
brought  within  its  range,  its  depredations  among  them  were 
considerable. 

The  measurements  which  I  made  of  three  of  these  animals 
were  as  follows  :  b'emale  killed  at  the  River  bY-nix.  Lake  lUicnos 
Aires,  thirty-nine  inches  ;  dog-wolf  killed  at  the  s.une  place,  forty- 
one  inches;  dog-wolf  killed  at  the  Lake  Argentino,  fortx-one 
inches.  These  measurements  were  taken  from  the  teeth  to  the 
end  of  the  tail  directly  after  the  shooting  of  the  animals. 

When  with  young  the  Cordillera  wolf,  indeetl  I  may  sa\  the 
Cordillera  wolves,  both  male  and  female,  will  run  growling  tow.irds 
man  if  he  attempts  to  approach  their  litter.  As  lar  as  could  be 
judged  from  an    examination  of  ihc    l.iir  ot  one.   their    bill  ol    tare 


26o         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

is  v-ery  varied.  There  were  the  remains  of  many  kinds  of  birds, 
as  well  as  the  bones  of  the  vouno"  of  Li'uanaco  and  huemul. 

There  is  another  form  of  the  wolf  which  I  think  should  perhaps 
be  considered  as  a  sub-species  under  the  name  of  Cams  montamts. 
Its  range  is  at  present  undefined.  It  is  a  red  variety  and  lacks  the 
dark  markings  of  Cam's  uiaocllauicus.  I  hope  shortly  to  have  a 
series  of  skins  of  this  type.  At  present  my  readers  can  refer 
to  the  coloured  plate  "  Camp  Thieves,"  and  the  photograph  on  this 
page.  Its  general  habits  seem  to  be  identical  w^ith  those  of  Cam's 
niagcllanictts. 

No.  9.   Skunk  {Coucpatiis  patagonicus'). 

i^Zornio  of  the  Argentines  ;  wikster  of  the  Tehuelches.) 

The  skunk  is  to  be  met  with  throughout  the  whole  country,  but 
we  saw  perhaps  more  specimens  of  this  animal  in  the  neighbourhood  I 
of  Bahia  Camerones  than  elsewhere.  I  have  also  observed  it  within 
ten  miles  of  the  foot  of  the  Cordillera.  The  skins  are  much  prized 
by  the  Indians  for  the  making  o'i  capas. 

Besides  the  animals  enumerated  above,  an  otter  is  common  in 
most  of  the  rivers,  but  as  all  the  skins  1  collected  have  not  arrived 
at  the  moment  of  writing,  I  will  hold  over  any  description  of  this 
animal  until  a  la'er  date. 


ki:i)    MOl'NTAIN    WOIJ-    [CAMS  MOXTAWs) 


CHAPTER   XIX 

FIRST   PASSING   THROUGH    HELLGATE 

Rumour  of  important  undiscovered  river — Wish  to  settle  question — Dr. 
Moreno's  description  of  Lake  Argentine — Start  for  Hellgate — Description  of 
Hellgate — Squall — Sunshine — Scenery — Icebergs — Danger-dodging — Absence 
of  life  on  banks — West  channel  of  North  Fjord — Events  of  voyage — Giant's 
Glacier  —  Camera  —  Second  glacier — Deep  water — End  of  west  channel — 
Return  to  North  Fjord — Icebergs — In  difficulties  with  launch — Escape  from 
a  reef — Land  on  peninsula — Guanaco — Fish — Fish  and  farina — Heavy  gales — 
Photographs — One  more  attempt  to  go  up  Ncrth  Fjord — Driftwood — Driven 
back  —  Return  to  Cow  Monte  Harbour — South  Fjord  —  Storms  —  Mount 
Avellaneda — Small  fjord — Trouble  with  launch  —  Squalls — Launch  driven 
ashore — On  fire — Fine  weather — Glacier  calves — Thousands  of  square  miles 
of  forest  unexplored. 

"  An  important  river  tiows  into  the  end  of  the  north  fjord  (of  Lake 
Argentino)  with  clear  waters— a  sure  sion  that  it  proceeds  from 
another  cj^rcat  lake  still  unknown." 

In  these  words,  taken  from  the  foufiia/  of  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society  for  Se])tember  1899,  under  the  head  of 
"Explorations  in  Patagonia,"  by  Dr.  Moreno,  you  have  the  idea 
which  was  the  spring  of  all  our  efforts  in  bringing  down  the  launch 
to  Lake  Argentino  and  the  aim  of  the  subsequent  voyages  made 
in  her. 

The  opening  to  the  north  passage  or  fjord  is  locall)-  known  as 
Hellgate,  so  called  on  account  of  the  rough  weather  which  usually 
prevails  there.  The  spot  is  the  opening  of  a  long  winding  channel 
tiiat,  running  uj)  between  beetling  cliffs  and  forested  mountain-sides 
as  it  were  Into  the  heart  of  the  Andes,  becomes  simply  a  vast 
hinnel  ihiough  which  the  winds  and  storms  discharge  themselves 
upon  the  lake  at  all  times  and  seasons.  I  cannot  give  a  better 
description  of  Lake  Argentino  than  b)-  using  the  following  extract 
from  I  )r.  Moreno's  account  : 


262         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

"  Lake  Areentino  ....  extends  sixty  miles  to  the  west ;  and 
the  fjords  of  the  extreme  west  divide  into  tliree  arms,  which  receive 
the  waters  of  laroe  olaciers  from  Mount  Stokes  up  to  the  vicinity 


HELLGATE 


of  Lake  Viedma,  An  important  river  flows  into  the  end  of  the 
north  fjord,  with  clear  waters — a  sure  sign  that  it  proceeds  from 
another  great  lake  still  unknown.  The  western  end  is  closed  by 
the  main  chain  of  the  Cordillera  with  its  glaciers,  which  cross  to 
the  Pacific  fjords  of  Peel  Inlet  and  St.  Andrew's  Sound,  and  one 
can  distinguish  peaks  more  than  10,000  feet,  as  Mount  Agassiz 
(10.597  feet)." 

On  March  i  i,  having  mended  the  launch  to  the  best  of  our 
ability,  we  intended  to  make  a  start  from  Cow  Monte  Harbour. 
As  we  rode  down  from  Cattle's,  driving  my  troop  of  horses  before 
us,  the  calm  weather  which  had  attended  the  period  of  repairs 
broke  up  and  a  strong  wind  began  to  blow  out  of  the  south-west. 
A  start  was,  therefore,  rendered  impossible.  We  accordingly 
camped  beside  the  launch,  to  be  ready  for  an  early  departure.  All 
night  long  the  wind  held,  and  the  sheepskins  in  the  after-hatch, 
where    I   was   sleeping,  took   in   water.      It  needed   little  waking, 


FIRST  PASSING  THROUGH  HELLGATE  263 


therefore,  to  get  me  out  in  the  nicjrning".  The  false  dawn  was 
still  lingering  in  the  sky  when  the  wind  fell  and  we  were  off  in 
double  quick  time,  heading  in  a  northerly  direction,  and  steering 
by  a  clump  of  Lena  dura  bushes  on  a  promontory,  behind  which 
lay  Hellgate. 

The  swell  of  the  previous  night  was  yet  big  upon  the  water, 
and  the  launch  crawled  ov^er  it  at  about  three  knots.  The  entrance 
to  Hellgate  is  possibly  one  of  the  most  menacing  and  sinister- 
looking  spots  in  South  x'\merica.  1  he  great  groov^ed  cliffs  tower 
over  the  yeasty  cauldron  of  water,  and  down  the  channel  between 
them,  as  I  have  said,  the  wind  hurtles  as  through  a  funnel.  On 
this  particular  morning  a  squall  had  darkened  the  great  and  house- 
less unknown  beyond.  Several  icebergs  were  huddled  together, 
stranded  upon  the  shallows  of  the  eastern  shore. 

After  running  through  the  black  throat  of  ffellgate  we  put 
in,  beneath  a  big  rock,  in  order  to  take  shelter  froni  the  squall 
that  was  fast  coming  down  upon  us.  We  had  started  on  a  matd, 
and  so,  while  we  waited,  a  roast  was  got  under  way.  As  we  were 
eating,  the  squall  that  had  brooded  so  ominously  in  the  west  broke 
over  the  lake,  and  after  raging  for  a  few  minutes  passed  with  a 
shiver  that  you  could  follow  with  the  eye,  till  it  lost  itself  in  the 
distance  of  the  early  morning  waters.  Then  the  sun  glowed  out 
suddenly,  as  if  some  gigantic  power  had  lifted  an  extinguisher 
from  its  glory.  The  farther  and  middle  distances  were  peopled 
with  snow-peaks,  rising  in  minarets  above  their  girdles  of  dark 
forest,  which  last  stretched  downwards  until  they  lipped  the 
black  water  at  the  mountain  bases.  For  a  nioment  alter  the 
outburst  of  radiance  the  water  alone  remained  black  and  angry, 
and  then  the  squall  flicked  away  its  skirts  and  passed  fmm 
view,  leaving  a  picture  of  cold  and  austere  purity  extending  to  the 
rim  of  sight.  In  words  I  cannot  give  you  an\-  reflection  ot  the 
scene,  and  no  photograph  could  ever  do  more  than  reproduce  its 
outlines,  and  yet  I  sup[)Ose  few  human  eyes  will  cxcr  look  upon  it. 

To  describe  the  kah^idoscope  of  colours  and  the  sccner)-  through 
which  we  passed  in  that  north  west  passage  ot  Lake:  Argenlino 
would  merely  leave  me  a  beggar  in  adjectives.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  for  tliat  dav  at  least  the  mist  and  i>loom  of  the  clouds  shared 


264         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

short  watches  with  tlie  t^old  and  white  of  flying  sunshine.  For 
the  first  lime  in  our  experience  of  her  the  launch  played  us  no 
tricks,  and  our  progress  went  on  at  a  steady  three  knots.  Soon  a 
oioantic  o-lacier  showed  in  the  channel,  seemino-  to  block  all  farther 
advance.  The  hjord  looked  full  of  icebergs  ;  there  must  have 
been  three  thousand  of  them  lying,  an  inanimate  fleet,  in  their 
mountain-bound   harbour  of  wind  and  mist. 

A  nasty  squall  cauoht  us  as  we  dodged  amon"'  the  ice,  the 
smallest  ripple  set  us  gripping  our  frail  craft,  and  I  am  afraid  that 
a  moderate  sea  would  have  drowned  her  hres  and  sent  us  to 
explore  downwards  rather  thcUi  onwards  Indeed,  our  entire  life 
on  the  launch  was  one  long  history  of  danger-dodging.  I  do  not 
give  the  details,  because  some  of  the  same  sort  have  already  been 
written,  and  repetition  is  needless.  I  orant  there  was  more  risk 
in  taking  the  launch  and  using  her  in  such  waters  than,  perhaps, 
wisdom  would  have  approved.  Without  her.  however,  we  could 
have  had  no  chance  of  exploring  the  North  Fjord  and  solving  the 
mystery  of  the  "  ri\-er  with  clear  waters."  Moreover,  those  who 
accompanied  me  went  of  iheir  own  free  will,  and  I  must  here 
record  my  gratitude  to  Mr.  Cattle,  who  willinolv  risked  his  life  on 
our  voyages  in  the  launch,  and  also  to  Burbury — who  accompanied 
mv.  on  my  first  journey — as  well  as  to  Bernardo,  who  was  with  me 
diroughout  the  whole  of  my  Lake  Argentino  experiences.  Wher- 
ever 1  mav  travel  in  the  future,  I  can  wish  for  no  better  com- 
panions. 

Bernardo,  the  most  willing  of  men,  kept  our  nerves  in  a  state 
of  less  than  pleasurable  excitement.  He  drove  the  launch,  when 
I  took  my  eye  off  him,  with  145  lb.  of  steam  in  her  worn-out  boiler 
— her  safety -limit  at  the  best  of  times  had  been  i  ^o  lb.  On  shore  he 
su-cceeded  in  firing  off  my  jungle-gun  by  mistake,  narrowly  missing- 
killing  himself  at  close  quarters  and  myself  at  some  few  feet  distance. 
But  even  after  this  involuntary  attempt  at  manslaughter  one  could 
not  be  angry  with  him,  he  was  so  genuinely  sorry,  yet  one  could 
not  help  foreseeing  that  he  was  eminently  likely  to  do  something 
of  the  sort  again.  He  was,  to  use  slang,  such  a  "  decent  chap,"  he 
never  grumbled  when  he  had  nothing  to  eat,  or  a  bout  of  bitter  cold 
labour  when  we  were  obliged  to  turn  out  in  the  night  to  get  up  the 


3 


O 


f  OfTHS; 

:rsity 

>fc.  or 


FIRST  PASSING  THROUGH   HELLGATE 


265 


HEVOND    MANS    KOOTSTEP.S 


anchor  or  do  some  other  job.  He  was  also  a  glutton  of  the  first 
water  for  work,  but  we  were  all  persuaded  that  he  would  end  by 
slaying  us,  ui  which  case  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  he  would 
have  said  to  me  as  we  were  being  ferried  across  the  Styx,  "  I)y 
good,  Mr.  Preechard,  I 
am  sorry,  the  old  launch 
she  bust  up  !  "  From  look- 
ing on  the  launch,  as  he 
did  at  first,  with  consider- 
able awe  and  respect, 
familiaritv  with  her  bred 
contempt,  and  all  her  parts 
lost  their  novelty  to  him, 
save  the  whistle.  When 
he  blew  that  his  face 
would  betoken  the  in- 
tensest  satisfaction.  In  many  ways  the  placid  Swede  caused  us 
much  amusement. 

One  of  the  most  singular  things  to  be  observed  during  that 
day  was  the  absence  of  life  in  the  forest  which  bordered  the  shore. 
It  was  strange  to  sail  along  under  the  vast  masses  of  vegetation 
and  rarely  to  see  or  hear  any  sign  of  life.  On  March  i  2  we  con- 
tinued our  advance,  and  finding  that  the  Fjord  here  split  up  into 
three  or  four  channels,  we  chose  the  most  westward  of  them.  ( )ur 
progress  was  very  slow  owing  to  the  west  wind  having  packed  the 
ice.  In  the  evening  we  made  our  camp  among  some  dead  trees 
upon  the  margin  of  the  water,  and  I  wandered  off  into  the  thickets, 
where  I  saw  a  Cordillera  wolf  I  picked  up  a  stone  and  threw  it 
at  him,  but  this  had  no  effect  until  I  hit  him  with  a  small  twig, 
which  made  him  growl.      iMnalK"  he  took  refuge  in  a  bush. 

It  was  while  at  this  camp  that  we  cut  ft)r  the  first  time  some 
Leiia  dzira  as  firing  for  the  launch.  It  pruxcd  l)ctter  than  califate 
and  gave  at  least  three  times  the  amount  of  heat  to  be  hatl  from 
;'^M^-wood.  Afterwards,  whenever  possible,  we  burned  no  other 
fuel  than  LiTia  dura. 

The  following  is  Iroin  in\-  diarv  : 

"'March    21.      During    this    trip   we    have    had    a    collaj)sible 


266         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

canvas  boat  in  tow  of  the  launch,  which  boat  has  saved  us  many  a 
wettino'  in  boanHnLi-  and  in  leaving-  the  launch.  We  oo  ashore  in 
relays,  one  man  remaining-  on  the  launch.  This  evening,  while 
Cattle,  Burbury  and  I  were  on  the  beach  wood-cutting  and  tent- 
pitching,  I  heard  Cattle  shout,  and,  looking  round,  saw,  to  my  dis- 
gust, the  canvas  boat  already  some  twenty  yards  out  and  drifting 
quickly  away  from  the  beach.  The  wind  had  caught  her  broadside 
on,  and  she  was  being  blown  out  into  the  current  beyond  the  calm 
of  our  sheltering  promontory.  Cattle  and  I  ran  down  to  the 
shingle,  casting  off  our  clothes  as  we  went.  I  thought  we  were  in 
for  a  long  swim,  no  pleasant  prospect  in  that  ice-cold  water  among 
the  fl  )es.  But,  as  luck  would  have  it,  there  was  a  little  point  of 
land  projecting  from  the  cliff  of  the  promontory,  and  to  this  we 
made  our  hurried  way,  leaving  behind  us  a  spoor  of  shed  garments. 
We  arrived  in  the  nick  of  time  to  secure  the  boat,  and  Cattle 
rowed  her  round  to  the  beach  beyond  the  camp. 

"There  is  one  enormous  glacier  visible  almost  due  north.  It 
had  evidently  been  throwing  many  bergs  of  late.  W^e  called  it  the 
Giant's  Glacier.  This  glacier  is  marked  with  double  lines  of 
brown  reaching-  from  the  clouds  right  down  to  the  margin  of  ihe 

o  o  o 

water,  for  all  the  world  like  the  tracks  of  the  chariot  wheels  of 
some  giant.  W'e  are  now  very  much  in  the  kingdom  ot  the  ice. 
Away  beyond  the  immediate  foreground  of  the  shores  and  forests 
is  spread  a  panorama  of  unnamed  peaks.  The  silence  is  seldom 
broken  save  by  the  scream  of  the  wind  or  the  crashing  fall  of  some 
mass  of  ice  from  the  glaciers. 

"  I  find  my  camera  has  been  damaged.  This  is  unfortunate, 
but  hardly  to  be  wondered  at.  It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  prevent 
mischief  when  the  launch  rolls  and  everything  gets  adrift,  and 
one's  time  is  taken  up  with  keeping  one's  balance,  steering,  or  in 
doing  the  myriad  little  jobs  that  crowd  one  upon  the  other. 
Although  the  camera  reposed  in  the  sheltering  care  of  various 
rugs  in  the  after  hatch,  the  heavy  weather  defeated  all  our  pre- 
cautions. In  this  difficulty  a  novel  of  Miss  Marie  Corelli's  has 
been  of  the  utmost  assistance,  and  saved  us  from  the  misfortune  of 
being  unable  to  take  photographs.  The  colonial  edition  of  the 
'  Master  Christian  '  has  a  thick  red  cover,    and  with  the  help   of 


FIRST  PASSING  THROUGH  HELLGATE  267 

some  flour  paste  we  have  succeeded  in  niakino-  the  camera  light- 
proof.  Thus  I  owe  a  second  debt  of  gratitude  to  Miss  IMarie 
CorelH,  beside  the  pleasure  of  reading  her  book." 

The  next  day  broke  clear  and  still,  raising  our  hopes  as  to  our 
progress  through  the  ice.  I  must  say  that  we  took  our  fine  blue 
weather — little  of  it  as  we  were  blessed  widi  -with  a  hearty 
pleasure,  and  enjoyed  it  most  thoroughly.  Wq  might  be  cold  and 
wet  an  hour  later,  but  between  the  squalls  it  was  not  so  disagree- 
able, and  we  made  the  best  of  the  breaks. 

It  was  not  long  under  these  favourable  circumstances  before 
we  reached  the  last  curve  of  the  channel,  and  were  confronted  by 
another  glacier  of  considerable  size,  coming  down  through  a 
depression  in  the  midst  of  a  mountain.  Below  the  glacier  the 
shoulders  and  base  of  the  mountain  were  covered  with  dark  forests. 
All  round  under  the  cliffs  was,  as  I  have  said,  deep  water,  how 
deep  I  do  not  know,  as  we  had  no  means  of  taking  soundings  of 
such  depth. 

As  there  seemed  little  to  be  gained  by  landing  at  the  foot  of  the 
glacier  we  ran  back  to  the  camp  of  the  previous  night,  where  the 
harbourage  was  at  any  rate  somewhat  better.  While  we  were 
yet  ashore,  a  squall  began  to  grow  up  in  the  sky  to  the  west 
and  came  down  upon  the  water  in  an  angry  spatter  of  rain.  It 
subsided,  however,  as  quickly  as  it  had  arisen,  so  we  got  atioat 
atrain.  Runnincr  back  through  the  narrow  throat  of  the  channel, 
we  found  that  the  wind,  which  had  veered  several  points  to  the 
north,  had  almost  blocked  it  with  a  fleet  of  icebergs,  that  were 
grinding  together  on  the  swell  of  the  water.  These  we  managed 
to  make  our  way  through,  ami  it  was  with  some  thankfulness  that 
we  presently  reached  the  farther  shore  on  the  east  of  the  main 
Fjord.  We  had  no  sooner  arrived  than  it  locgaii  to  blow  in  lieu  \ 
eusts,  and  five  minutes  after  the  first  of  them — so  quickly  do  the 
seas  rise  upon  this  lake — we  had  to  shift  our  anchorage. 

In  an  hour  or  two,  having  in  the  meantime  laid  in  a  good  store 
of  firewood,  and  the  heavy  wind  being  succeeded  by  a  series  of  cold 
showers,  we  took  advantage  of  the  lull  and  headed  u[)  ihc  mam 
Fjord  to  the  north.  lUit  the  wind,  that  had  temporarily  dropj)cd. 
soon  resumed  its  fiir\-,  and  the  launch  was  hard  i)ut  to  it  to  keep  her 


268         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

position,  far  less  to  make  any  headway,  and  then,  as  was  usual  in 
moments  of  need,  the  pumps  ceased  working  alto(i;ether,  and 
Burbury  shouted  that  no  more  tlian  ten  minutes'  steam  remained 
in  the  boiler.  There  was  nothino-  for  it  but  to  turn  her  and  to  run 
for  the  land.  We  found,  however,  small  hope  of  anchorage,  for 
a  bare  fifty-foot  cliff  rose  sheer  out  of  the  water  and  so  continued 
for  a  lono-  distance  ahead.  Seeing"  we  were  unlikely  to  dis- 
cover  a  suitable  position,  we  decided  to  cross  the  lake,  but  we  had 
not  gone  far  when  the  propeller  wheezed  into  silence.  Strong 
squalls  caught  us  and  made  the  launch  roll  and  heave.  Cattle  got 
into  the  canvas  boat  with  the  idea  of  trying  to  tow  her,  and 
I  forward,  [)ut  out  the  long  oar,  which  we  generally  used  as  one 
of  the  bulwarks — and  we  both  endeavoured  to  keep  her  from 
turning  broadside  on  to  the  waves,  in  which  case  she  would  have 
been  swamped. 

Cattle  shortly  gave  up  his  attempt  to  tow  her  ;  in  the  sea  then 
running  such  an  effort  was  hopeless.  The  wind  increased.  Cattle 
came  aboard,  not  without  difficulty,  and  tried  rowing  with  a  short 
oar.  Meantime  Burbury  was  baling  water  into  the  boiler  with  a 
cooking-pot.  The  launch  was  rolling  in  a  manner  which  made 
rowing  a  difficult  matter.  Presently  the  oar  I  was  using  broke  off 
short  and  the  launch  was  drifting  ominously  near  to  a  reef.  It  was 
a  race  as  to  whether  we  should  get  up  steam  before  w^e  were  cast 
upon  it.  We  watched  the  index  of  the  register  slowly  beginning 
to  quiver,  and  when  it  marked  30  lb.  we  were  not  much  more 
than  a  score  or  so  of  yards  from  the  rocks.  This  was,  how- 
ever, enough  to  enable  us  to  get  way  on  and  forge  slowly  out  of 
dano-er. 

Our  steam  did  not  last  much  longer  than  to  allow  us  to  find 
shelter  under  the  lee  of  a  line  of  low  rocks,  which  thrust  themselves 
out  and  served  as  a  little  breakwater  in  the  lake.  We  remained  there 
while  Burbury  again  filled  the  boiler,  and,  having  got  up  steam,  we 
made  the  mouth  of  a  deep  inlet  which  afforded  us  good  harbourage. 
Here  we  landed,  and  found  ourselves  upon  a  peninsula  shaped 
like  a  spoon,  the  handle  that  connected  it  with  the  land  being- 
very  narrow.  At  its  upper  end  it  joined  the  moraine  of  the  great 
glacier  which  I   had  called  Giant's  Cdacier. 


FIRST  PASSING  THROUGH  HELLGATE  269 

As  we  came  in  to  the  beach,  three  guanacos  cantered  down 
and  stared  and  neighed  at  us.  The  sight  of  these  animals 
brightened  the  prospect,  as  it  was  pleasant  to  see  livinp- 
creatures  in  what  had  hitherto  seemed  to  be  an  empty  amphi- 
theatre of  hills.  The  bay  where  we  had  anchored  was  a  shallow 
lagoon,  into  which  flowed  a  little  stream  that  wound  away  out 
of  sight  through  a  thin  belt  of  forest  over  land  comparatively 
flat.  This  peninsula  carried  a  light  soil  and  good  grass,  but 
bore  the  appearance  of  a  spot  that  the  winter  would  strike  with 
peculiar  severity.  The  wood  was  all  roblc  and  Lena  dura  and 
the  scrub  included  califate-bushes,  from  which  last,  however,  the 
purple  berries  had  long  since  departed,  much  to  our  sorrow. 
Huemules,  guanacos,  pumas,  and  the  red  fox  gave  evident  si^^ns 
of  their  presence.  I  observed  a  pigmy  owl  {Cilaucidiuui  uainoji) 
and  several  caranchos.  In  the  evening,  when  speaking  upon  the 
subject,  Cattle  informed  me  that  several  kinds  of  fish  were  to  be 
found  in  Lake  Argentino.  Often  as  we  used  to  make  our  meal 
of  fish  and  farina  (a  compound  in  the  concoction  of  which  for 
good  or  evil  Bernardo  stood  alone),  I  used  to  regret  my  inability 
to  bring  back  specimens  of  the  fish  from  this  lake,  but  I  had  no 
means  of  preserving  them. 

"  Fish  and  farina,"  indeed,  became  a  standing  joke  \\  ilh  us. 
We  might  threaten  to  blow  each  other  up  by  the  agency  of  the 
launch's  peculiar  engines,  and  the  threats  would  pass  as  nothing  ; 
but  the  expressed  intention  of  any  one  of  us  who  proposed  to  go 
and  catch  fish  with  a  view  to  preparing  a  meal  of  "  fish  and 
farina "  soon  became  too  much  for  the  strongest  and  bravest 
among  us.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  fish  was  far  from  tempting, 
having  a  muddy  flavour  and  being  full  of  small  bones,  which 
mixed  themselves  up  inextricably  with  the  farina.*" 

That  nicrht  shut  down  with  a  crale  and  much  rain.  Tlic  trees 
groaned,  and  one  close  to  us  was  blown  down.  It  was  with  a 
very  thankful  heart  that  1  woke  up  in  the  middle  of  the  storm 
and  reflected  upon  the  glorious  .safety  of  oiii-  nciw -found  harbour. 
Next  mornin^j  1  was  awakened  sometime  in  the  dusky  'jr^"\'  <>f 
dawn   because  a  couple  of  Chiloe  widgeon  had  come  in  close    to 

•■■  Two  kinds  of  fish  came  under  my  observation,  hut  I  inidersttxul  there  were  four. 


270         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

the  launch,  and  roasted  duck  was  voted  good  by  the  wakeful 
Burbury.  I  sleepily  thought  the  widgeon  might  have  waited,  and 
after  all  somethino-  scared  the  ducks  and  thev  flew  off  to  a  dis- 
tance  of  a  couple  of  hundred  yards.  My  stalk  only  resulted  in  my 
securino-  one  of  the  birds. 

The  ice  we  had  observed  earlier  in  the  mouth  of  the  most 
westerly  channel  had  by  this  time  completely  blocked  the  opening. 
We  spent  the  day  wandering  about  upon  the  peninsula,  and  I  tried 
to  get  some  photographs,  but  the  attempt  was  rather  hopeless  in 
the  mist  and  rain.  Indeed,  althousfh  advantacje  was  taken  of  everv 
lifting  of  the  weather,  four  pictures  were  all  that  this  trip  allowed 
of  my  completing. 

The  following  day,  in  spite  of  bad  weather,  we  made  a  third 
attempt  to  head  up  the  North  Fjord,  at  the  end  of  which  we  hoped 
to  And  the  "  river  with  clear  waters  "  mentioned  by  Dr.  Moreno, 
and  at  the  end  of  that  again  the  unknown  lake.  We  made  two 
hours  very  slow  progress,  the  north-west  wind  quickly  beating  up  a 
troublesome  sea.  W'e  observed  bits  of  wood  travelling  faster  than 
is  usual  in  cases  of  drift,  and  now  made  sure  that,  could  we  but 
reach  the  end  of  the  Fjord,  we  should  find  the  river  whose  current 
we  believed  to  be  responsible  for  the  comparatively  rapid  move- 
ment of  the  wood. 

Our  hopes  were  on  this  occasion  destined  to  disappointment, 
for.  in  spite  of  all  our  efforts,  we  were  unable  to  go  forward  or  to 
make  head  against  the  bad  weather,  which  continued  for  some 
days.  Besides  this,  the  injector  of  the  launch  failed  to  perform 
its  office,  and  as  the  machinery  was  badly  in  need  of  repairs,  and 
the  cracked  plate  was  letting  in  water,  I  thought  it  better  to  run 
before  the  wind  to  Cow  Monte  Harbour,  which  was,  in  fact,  our 
headquarters,  and  where  such  tools  as  we  had  were  stored.  One 
point  that  was  always  in  our  favour  while  making  these  attempts 
to  force  our  way  up  the  North  F^jord,  lay  in  the  fact  that  the 
prevailing  winds  from  north-west  or  south-west,  as  the  case  might 
be,  helped  rather  than  hindered  us  on  our  return  passages. 

During  this  interval,  while  waiting  for  a  second  opportunity 
of  attempting  to  gain  the  extreme  end  of  the  North  Fjord  of 
the  lake,   we  arranged  to  make  ai  short  voyage  down  the   South 


y.  ;: 

<  f 

y.  t 

—  jj 

o 


'Ah, 


FIRST  PASSING  THROUGH  HELLGATE  271 

Fjord,  or,  as  it  is  locally  known,  to  Lake  Rica.  Hy  doincr  this, 
moreover,  we  should  complete  our  circumnavigation  of  Lake 
Argentino.  Before  we  left,  reliable  news  came  up  from  the  settle- 
ments with  some  belated  Christmas  and  other  papers.  We  were 
verv  relieved  to  learn  that  the  Franco- Russian  combination  was 
no  more  than  a  camp-scare,  nor  was  Russia  advancing  on  India,  as 
the  last  rumours  had  told  us.  When  one  has  lost  so  large  a  slice 
of  the  general  history  of  the  world  as  we  did  during  the  months 
passed  on  our  expedition,  it  is  hopeless  to  imagine  one  can  ever 
make  up  the  loss.  The  events  of  that  period  must  always  remain 
blurred  and  hazy  in  the  mind,  only  a  few  ever  attaining  an  accurate 
outline.  And  then  how  greedy  one  becomes  of  news  after  an 
abstinence  so  prolonged  as  ours  from  that  daily  mental  excitement 
of  civilisation  !  It  is  difficult  to  describe  how  one  grips  the  strayed 
journal  or  periodical  when  one  has  been  cut  off  for  months  from 
these  "curses  of  modern  life." 

On  April  1 1  we  left  Cow  Monte  Harbour  and  steamed  west- 
wards down  the  Punta  Bandera  Channel.  In  a  short  time  the 
pump  broke  down  and  we  had  some  trouble  in  putting  it  right  again. 
In  defence  of  our  enoineerincr  skill  I  must  say  that  we  had  aoainst 
us  the  fact  that  a  part  of  the  pump  had  been  taken  away  for  repairs 
to  Buenos  Aires  by  the  Commission.  We  camped  at  the  mouth 
of  a  river  coming  down  out  of  Mount  Avellaneda.  Above  us  the 
bare  volcanic  summits  of  the  mountains  rose  starkly  out  of  their 
circling  forests,  that  were  now  turning  crimson  with  the  brilliant 
colours  of  autumn.  We  could  also  see  the  great  glacier  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Canal  de  los  Tempmos.  Many  deer-tracks 
were  visible,  but  we  saw  only  one  huemul  buck  in  the  edge  of  ihc 
forest. 

We  made  an  early  start  next  day,  which  liickil)"  wds  calm,  for 
the  pump  gave  us  a  good  deal  of  bother.  We  proceeded  down  a 
smaller  fjord  lying  under  Mount  Avellaneda,  which  took  us  in  a 
westerly  direction,  but  presently  curved  southwards  and  ended  in  a 
large  mountain  covered  with  forest,  which  1  named  Moimt  Millais. 
The  chief  hindrances  in  these  winding  passages  were  the  constantly 
veerinir  winds  that  we  encountered.  Uav  and  ni^ht  we  were 
obliged  to  keep  up  a  constant  struggle  against  them.       Ihis  was  all 


272         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

very  well  cluriiiL;-  the  cl;i\-lio-ht,  hut  to  anchor  the  launch  snugly 
and  then  to  he  waked  hy  her  humping-  and  straining  at  her  cable 
perhaps  ten  times  in  the  night,  and  to  have  to  turn  out  in  just 
what  you  happened  to  have  on  in  the  way  of  sleeping  apparel 
supplemented  only  by  "  the  mantle  of  the  night," — for  there  never 
was  a  moment  to  be  lost  at  these  junctures — was  an  experience 
which  quickly  became  monotonous  and  wearing  to  strength  and 
temper.  During  this  South  Fjord  trip  the  launch  certainly  did 
herself  proud  in  this  direction  ;  she  seldom  gave  us  a  couple  of 
liours'  (juiet  rest,  often  forcing  us  to  face  the  biting  cold  a  dozen 
times  between  dark  and  dawn. 

The  forests  about  this  part  of  the  lake  were  immense,  and 
contained  trees  and  plants  unknown  in  the  outer  Cordillera  or, 
rather,  I  should  say,  the  foothills.*  A  bush  resembling  holly  was 
conspicuous,  fuchsias  also  abounded. 

I  quote  a  short  description  of  this  region  from  my  diary  : 
*'  The  mountains  go  in  and  out  of  the  mist,  now  seen,  now  lost. 
The  mist  shrouds  them  at  one  moment,  and  the  greyness  reaches 
up  to  heaven  and  down  to  earth — into  a  man's  soul  it  often 
seems  ;  the  next  instant  there  may  be  gleams  of  a  sad  blue  sky 
shinino"  through  the  torn  banners  of  the  haze,  and  grlaciers  assume 
a  wonderful  goblin  hue,  a  pallid  violet."  There  was  some  same- 
ness in  our  days,  but  the  launch  kept  us  alive  with  anticipation. 
She  seldom  lacked  the  chance  of  giving  us  some  surprise. 
Often  we  asked  each  other,  "  Will  she  drown  us  after  all?  And 
when  and  where  ?  "  A  cold  death  and  a  deep  grave  she  had  it 
in  her  power  to  give.  The  one  good  side  to  the  situation  was 
that  when  we  landed,  as  we  often  did,  in  a  sleety  drizzle  on  a 
swampy  camp,  we  forbore  to  grumble,  but  were,  on  the  contrary, 
filled  with  a  strong  thankfulness  to  have  escaped  from  her  even 
for  a  little  time. 

We  had  one  particularly  bad  night,  when  a  series  of  squalls 
came  down  on  us,  and  we  spent  the  greater  part  of  our  sleeping- 
hours  in  poling  the  launch  off  the  shore,  but  at  last  the  wind  got 
the  better  of  us  and  literally  hurled  her  on  the  beach. 

■■•  I  hope  ill  a  future  voluuie  to  publish  a  list  of  the  plants  we  collected.     At  the 
moment  of  writins;  all  have  not  reached  Enj,dand. 


FIRST  PASSINCx  THROUGH  HELLGATE  273 

How  we  managed  to  get  her  off  it  is  impossible  to  describe  ; 
we  did  it  somehow.  The  next  morning  was  still  wind}',  but  we 
steamed   along  the  Canal   de  los  Tempanos  under  Mount  lUienos 


f.l.Ai   ll.k    I)i;    LOS    TKMI'A.NOS 


Aires,  and  there  it  was  that  a  fire  broke  out  on  the  launch.  This 
was  an  accident  we  always  dreaded,  for,  having  no  room  elsewhere. 
we  were  obliged  to  pile  the  fuel  round  her  engine,  with  the  result 
that  it  occasionally  became  dangerously  heated. 

Landing  at  the  end  of  the  Canal  de  los  Tempanos  we  found 
ourselves  in  forests  of  mai^nificent  timber.  The  veijetation  was 
rank  and  luxuriant,  a  mass  of  decay  under  a  lorcst  oi  lite.  hrom 
the  swampy  dank  ground  tall  stems  sprang  up  straight  and  branch- 
less as  palms,  while  at  their  feet  grew  a  carpet  of  ferns. 

We  had  some  marvellous  days  of  fine  weather  in  the  Cordillera, 
where  on  the  mountain  slopes,  as  winter  drew  on,  the  crimson 
shades  crept  deeper  to  mingle  with  antl  finalK  change  the  green. 
In  due  time  we  reached  the  South  Fjord  b)-  water.  The  account 
of  a  [)revious  visit  on  horseback  has  alread\-  been  told.  1  hen  we 
turned  homewards,  and  on   the  w<i\    1    secured  some  good  pholt:)s 


2  7+         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

of  the  oreat  glacier  of  the  Canal  de  los  Tempanos.  As  we  passed 
down  the  canal,  a  bicj  berof  broke  off  from  the  o'lacier  ahead  of  us 
and  ])liinL;"ccI  into  ilic  water,  sending  up  a  huge  wave,  which  luckily 
only  touched  us  slii>htlv.  It  was  well  we  were  no  nearer.  We 
witnessed  after  this  the  fall  of  several  lesser  pieces  of  ice,  the  noise 
of  which  resounded  loudly  among  the  gorges. 

Our  return  voyage  was  eventless.  While  Bernardo  was 
making  our  camp-fire  upon  landing,  he  called  to  me  to  come  with 
m\-  ritle.  He  said  he  had  been  attacked  by  a  large  Cordillera 
wolf,  which  snapped  at  his  legs.  He  retaliated  with  an  axe,  but 
it  got  away.  Following  in  the  direction  he  indicated,  I  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  animal  crossing  a  patch  of  moonlight,  and  fired, 
hitting  it  far  back. 

There  are  many  thousands  of  square  miles  of  unexplored  forest 
in  Patagonia.  It  is  a  region  unknown  and  mysterious,  which  has 
never  been  deeply  explored  by  man.  As  has  been  said,  no  man 
lives  in  them,  and  it  is  a  question  whether  man  has  ever  lived 
there,  for  the  one  all-sufficient  reason — the  practical  absence  of 
game  on  which  he  might  subsist. 

1  well  remember  my  first  sight  of  the  forests,  and  the  Intense 
longing  that  took  hold  upon  me  to  make  my  way  into  their  virgin 
fastnesses.  It  is  one  of  the  traveller's  most  unquenchable  desires, 
this  hankering  to  go  where  no  other  man  has  yet  been.  It  springs, 
1  su])])ose,  from  the  undefined  thought  that  in  the  unknown  every- 
thing is  possible,  though  few  things  perhaps  come  to  pass. 

From  afar  the  forests  appear  to  rim  the  slopes  and  spurs  of  the 
Cordillera  with  a  seemingly  impenetrable  mass  of  blackness,  reach- 
ing towards  and  often  running  up  into  the  snowdine ;  as  you 
approach  the  colour  assumes  its  true  hue,  a  deep  dense  green,  a 
green  that  seems  to  have  the  quality  of  absorbing  light,  so  that, 
as  you  gaze  upon  the  expanse  of  foliage  stretchin^j^  back  into  the 
distances,  fold  beyond  fold,  where  the  valleys  and  mountain-sides 
close  in  behind  each  other,  an  impression  of  gloom  and  mystery 
lays  hold  upon  your  mind.  Upon  still  nearer  inspection  you  find 
the  trees  ranked  in  heavy  phalanxes,  while  between  their  close-set 
trunks  has  grown  up  an  under-tangle  of  thorn.  Old  storms  have 
overthrown  manv  of  the  (giants,  so  that  thev  lie  in  tens  and  twenties, 


J 


O 


u 


r. 

O 

-I 


J 


0 
y. 


u  1 B  ft  ;^ , 


FIRST  PASSING  THROUGH  HELLGATE 


-75 


or  lean  against  their  yet  quick  companions  awaiting  the  slow  decay 
of  things.  But  it  is  very  hard  to  give  any  adequate  idea  in  words 
of  these  vast  and  nameless  tree-kinodoms.      Most  common  amone 


GLACIKR    AM)    GLACIAL    DKTKITUS 


die  trees  was  the  antarctic  beech.      I   observed  also  redwood  and 
cypress. 

There  are  some  wild  cattle  and  huemules  to  be  found  in  the 
outskirts  of  the  woodlands  ;  we  also  saw  parrots,  hawks  and  owls 
in  some  of  our  wanderings,  while  in  other  spots  there  seemed  nu 
sign  of  life  at  all  save  a  {gw  small  rodents,  and  even  those,  as 
we  pushed  farther  into  the  thicker  recesses,  disappeared.  Ami 
then  we  came  under  the  sway  of  that  curious  silence  which  broods 
among  these  forest  depths. 

The  aspects  of  the  various  forests  and  the  trees  of  which  thev 
were  composed  varied  greatly.  Some  were  bare  ami  de\t)id  of 
undergrowth  as  a  northern  forest  ;  others  were  absolutely  tropical 
in  their  heav\'  luxuriance.  In  one.  a  majestic  place,  the  tall 
antarctic  beeches   were  draped    with   long    trailing  Sj)anish    moss. 


276         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

and  on  the  carpet  of  moss  beneath  them  lay  here  and  there  a  dead 
tree. 

Few  places  are  more  mournful  than  this  re^^ion  when  rain  is 
falling.  After  the  rain  ceases,  mists  arise  and  circle  round  \ou, 
shutting  you  in.  these  in  their  turn  often  being  dissipated  by  a 
sudden  fierce  squall.  In  summer  the  climate  is  very  humid,  and 
many  of  the  plants  have  the  fat  damp  aspect  seldom  observable 
save  in  the  tropics.  The  huge  masses  of  rank  vegetation  seem 
to  stifle  you  ;  once  you  have  been  in  that  great  black  insatiable 
woodland  you  can  never  quite  shake  off  its  influence. 

In  that  particular  forest  was  one  glade  by  the  outrunning  of  a 
little  brook  where  the  ground  was  thick  with  orchids.* 

One  reads  of  "  virgin  forests,"  but  one  must  behold  them  to  com- 
prehend the  reality  that  underlies  the  wording.  For  days  you  saw 
no  living  thing,  heard  no  human  tones,  nothing  but  the  inimense 
voices  of  the  thunder,  the  glacier  and  the  everlasting  wind.  The 
solitude  of  Patagonia,  its  peculiar  characteristic  of  lack  of  human  life 
in  the  present  and  the  past,  was  borne  in  upon  one  under  that  high 
dome  of  foliage,  and  in  those  aisles  abysmally  vast,  stretching  north, 
south,  east  and  west.  In  any  other  country  legends  would  have 
gathered  round  these  places,  some  touch  of  man's  presence  and 
adventure  humanised  them,  so  to  speak.  In  Patagonia  the  fancy 
had  nothing  to  grip,  to  grow  upon,  no  story  of  joy  or  of  sorrow. 
Solitude  reigned  alone,  and  nature  spoke  only  by  the  awful  un- 
interpreted tongues  of  God's  elements. 

■■'•  There  were  also  orchids  growing  about  the  foothills  of  the  Cordillera.  Those  I 
brought  back  arc  now  under  the  care  of  the  Curator  of  the  Royal  Botanical  Gardens 
at  Kew.     They  should  flower  before  this  book  is  in  print. 


CHAPTER   XX 

DISCOVERY   OF   THE    RIVER   KATARINA   AND    LAKE   PEARSON 

Fears  of  winter  coming  on — Stormy  days — Quiet  nights — Picnics  in  Patagonia 
— Start  by  night — Hellgate  by  starlight — Camp  on  beach — Advance  up  North 
Fjord — Approach  to  River  Katarina — Shallow  water — Leave  launch — Advance 
with  canvas  boat — Tameness  of  huemul — Anecdote  of  Canoe  Indians — White- 
faced  ducks— First  sight  of  lake— Bernardo  falls  ill— Immoderate  bags  of 
so-called  sportsmen — Problem  of  shrinkage  of  Lake  Argentino — Discovery 
of  Lake  Pearson — Description — Bernardo  better — Comet— Obliged  to  turn 
back — Hellgate  by  firelight. 

After  our  return  from  our  trip  to  the  South  ?'"jord  the  weather 
became  very  threateninor  and  I  was  beset  with  many  anxious  tears 
that  the  winter  might  set  in  rigidly,  and  entire]}  preclude  any 
attempt  to  solve  the  problem  of  the  yet  unvisited  and  unknown 
river  and  lake  whose  existence  was  conjectured  at  the  end  ot  the 
North  Fjord.  Snow  fell  and  blocked  the  pass  to  Punta  Arenas,* 
which  was  our  south  road  to  the  coast,  but  luckily  a  milder  spell 
followed,  the  snow  melted  and  I  was  encouraged  to  remain  just  a 
little  longer  to  carry  out  my  original  idea  of  making  another  effort 
to  thoroughly  explore  the  North  Fjord. 

Storms,  however,  swept  over  the  lake,  and  although  we  under- 
took a  couple  of  short  expeditions  in  the  launch,  we  waited  for  better 
days  before  again  facing  the  difficulties  of  the  Hellgate  passage. 
Again  and  again  we  saw  squalls  and  waterspouts  come  curling 
down  the  channel  between  the  frowning  chffs.  Day  followed  day 
with  heavy  winds,  the  coming  of  the  light  seemed  to  be  the  signal 
for  the  gales  to  rise,  whereas  on  many  nights  the  weather  was  fairly 

*  Burbury  made  his  way  south  just  in  the  nick  of  time.  I  was  obliged  to  send  him 
to  the  coast  to  meet  Scrivenor,  %vho  was,  according  to  my  arrangements,  abcut  to 
leave  for  England. 


2  78         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

still,  and  the  water  in  consequence  calmer.  It  was  during-  this 
period  of  waiting'  that  we  arranged  the  following  prog'ramnie, 
\\  hich  I  find  scribbled  upon  a  page  of  my  diary  : 

PICNICS  IN  PATAGONIA. 
Arranged  by  the  Patagonian  Picnicking  Company  on  the  most  lavish  scale. 

On  the  Free  Pampas  ! 

Over  glorious  Lakes  !  ! 

Through  illimitable  Forests !  !  !  !  ! 


Ladies  and  gentlemen  desiring  to  make  this  unique  trip  should  communicate  at  once 
with  the  Secretary,  Herr  Bernardo  Hiihansen. 

Unequalled  Scenery  !  !  !  Horse  Exercise  !  !  ! 

Guanaco  Shooting  ! !  !  Ostrich  Hunting!  !  ! 

A  special  feature  will  be  made  of  water-trips  in  the  magnificent  steam-yacht,  the 
fastest  boat  on  Lake  Argentino,  commanded  by  an  officer  of  immense  experience  and 
charming  manners,  who  has  instructions  to  do  all  that  he  can  for  the  comfort  of  the 
passengers. 

WRITE  EARLY. 

Applications  are  pouring  in.  Only  a  limited  number  of  passengers  can  be  accom- 
modated.    Don't  be  one  of  the  disappointed  !     You  pay  /"soo.     We  do  the  rest !!!!!!! 

N.B. — The  cultured  conversation  of  the  Chief  Engineer  free  of  charge.  (Gratuities 
regarded  merely  as  a  graceful  compliment.) 

Passengers  are  expected  to  insure  their  Hves  in  favour  of  the  Company  for  sums  of 
not  less  than  /"looo  each  with  respectable  Insurance  Companies. 


The  engagement  of  picturesque  heathen  camp-servants  will  be  made  a  special  study 
by  the  Company. 

At  length,  weary  of  waitino-  on  the  wind's  vaoaries,  we  deter- 
mined  to  start  by  night,  during  the  quieter  period  we  usually 
then  enjoyed,  and  make  what  progress  we  could  up  the  intri- 
cacies of  Hellgate.  Accordingly,  at  i  o'clock  i\m.  on  May  3,  we 
began  our  voyage.  We  passed  through  Hellgate  and  left  many 
silent  bays  behind  us  as  we  kept  on  our  course  just  outside  the  inky 
shadow  of  the  cliffs.  The  water  was  still  working  after  the  blow  of 
the  da\  time,  Init  on  the  whole  we  had  favourable  weather  and  the 
stars  shone  brightlv.  With  daw  n  the  wind  arose  and  we  were 
forced  to  put  in  to  an  anchorage  on   the  east  shore  of  the   Fjord. 


y. 


^ 


THE  RIVER  KATARINA  AND  LAKE  PEARSON      279 

Afterwards,  travelling  by  day,  we  made  our  way  to  the  peninsula, 
rocks  often  jutted  out  into  the  fairway,  but  these  were  easy  to 
locate,  as  we  had  been  through  the  channel  before  and  had  some 
knowledge  of  its  reefs.  A  number  of  icebergs  had  been  blown 
down  out  of  the  western  channel,  but  the  water  had  fallen  con- 
siderably since  our  last  visit,  and  when  we  reached  the  peninsula 
we  found  it  impossible  to  resume  our  former  camp  there,  so  we 
were  forced  to  pass  an  uncommonly  cold  night  on  a  bare  bit  of 
beach  without  so  much  as  a  bush  to  shelter  us. 

From  time  to  time  we  spent  a  good  while  on  this  peninsula.  It 
was  studded  with  erratic  boulders,  and  the  soil  on  it  varied  from 
six  to  twelve  inches  in  depth.  On  this  visit  I  saw  a  red-crested  wood- 
pecker. The  views  from  the  higher  part  of  the  peninsula  were 
infinitely  grand.  The  gigantic  glacier,  the  dark  forests,  the  innu- 
merable icebergs  Hoatinor  below  the  black  cliffs  —all  these  combined 
to  make  up  pictures  which  I  should  like  to  be  able  to  reproduce. 

In  time  the  weather  moderated,  and  we  made  a  last  essay  to 
penetrate  to  the  farther  end  of  the  main  Fjord.  As  we  proceeded 
the  water  became  shallower,  so  that  it  was  necessary  occasionally 
to  take  soundings.  There  were  also  many  rocks.  We  once  niore 
noticed  dry  sticks  and  leaves  drifting  past,  and  present!)'  ahead  of 
us,  through  a  gap  in  the  Cordillera,  we  caught  a  glimpse  of  flat 
country.  This  time  we  fulfilled  our  desire  and  attained  to  the 
termination  of  the  Fjord,  where  we  came  to  the  mouth  of  a  river  of 
considerable  size.  It  swunyf  out  from  round  the  base  of  a  cliff, 
and  had  thrown  up  a  slight  bar  where  it  joined  the  waters  of  the 
lake.      I  named  it  the  River  Katarina. 

We  camped  at  this  point  and  began  at  once  to  explore  the 
valley  of  the  river.  It  flowed  over  a  stony  bed,  presenting  much 
the  appearance  of  a  large  Scotch  trout-stream.  The  canadon 
through  which  it  passed  was  very  wide,  and  the  stream  wound 
greatly.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  the  river  was  very  shallow,  and 
there  was  not  water  enough  to  float  the  launch,  in  tact  a  stone 
picked  up  from  the  ])()tt()in  lodged  itself  between  the  blades  of  the 
propeller  and  we  had  to  haul  up  lor  repairs.  This  I)usiiicss  ot 
repairing  was  one  we  often  had  to  perform,  antl  necessity  being  the 
mother    of   in\enlion,    the   dodges    we    resorted    to   were  original. 


28o         THROUGH   THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

The  launch,  if  once  hauled  up  on  the  beach  and  sunk  in  the  sand, 
would  have  been  too  heavy  for  the  three  of  us  to  isct  back  into  the 
water.  On  these  occasions  we  therefore  used  to  cut  the  largest  tree- 
trunks  available  and  roll  them  under  the  keel  while  still  half  in  the 
water,  iIumi  the  two  heaviest  of  us  would  yo  into  the  bows,  which 
were,  of  course,  in  comparatively  deep  water,  and  our  weight  in 
this  position  served  to  raise  the  stern  sufficiently  to  allow  of  the 
third  man  to  execute  the  repairs  needful  to  the  propeller.  In  the 
present  instance  it  was  found  that  the  machinery  was  severely 
strained,  thouo-h  fortunately  no  damage  had  been  done  to  the 
blades  ot  the  propeller. 

Though  the  river  was  shallow  in  May,  we  saw  abundant 
evidence  that  it  must  carry  a  greatly  increased  volume  of  water  in 
the  earlier  j)art  of  the  year.  But  not  finding  it  possible  to  take  the 
launch  uj)  the  channel,  we  decided  on  anchoring  her  as  securely  as 
we  could  and  continuing  our  expedition  in  the  small  canvas  boat. 
This  we  did  a  day  or  two  later. 

( )ur  camping-ground  on  the  bank  of  the  Katarina  was  among 
high  and  rather  coarse  grass,  which  would  have  made  excellent 
feed  for  horses,  but  I  should  not  think  it  possible  to  keep  horses  in 
that  cahadon,  as,  being  encircled  by  hills,  the  sun  would  seldom 
reach  it  during  the  winter.  There  were  many  patches  of  wood, 
composed  of  rather  stunted  trees,  but  it  was  difficult  to  penetrate 
among  them,  their  trunks  grew  so  close  together.  A  certain 
amount  of  game  lived  in  the  valley,  huemules,  guanacos,  pumas 
and  Cordillera  wolves. 

The  extraordinary  tameness  of  the  huemul  here  was,  of  course, 
accounted  for  by  their  entire  ignorance  of  man.  During  my 
wanderings  from  the  camp  I  had  opportunities  of  making  many 
interesting  observations  on  this  point.  They  would  almost 
always,  if  you  kept  still  and  made  no  attempt  lo  approach  them, 
advance  timidly  towards  you.  It  was  in  this  \  alley  of  the  Kata- 
rina that  I  met  with  the  most  remarkable  instance  of  boldness  on 
the  part  of  these  animals.  I  have  given  this  story  in  full  in  another 
chapter,  but  1  ma\  shorth  allude  to  it  here.  I  was  some  miles  from 
the  camp,  among  thick  grass  and  scrub,  when  I  perceived  emerg- 
ing from  a  thicket  at  a  little  distance  the  spiked  horns  and  red- 


THE  RIVER  KATARINA  AND  LAKE  PEARSON      281 

brown  sides  of  a  huemul  buck  ;  behind  him  were  two  does,  half 
hidden  in  the  thicket.  Findintr  that  they  had  perceived  me,  I  lay- 
down  on  the  grass  and  watched  to  see  what  they  would  do.     One 


CAA'.^Doy  OF 


KAIAKINA 


could  read  in  their  movements  and  attitudes  the  battle  between 
timiditvand  curiosity  that  was  oroino-  on  within  them.  A  third  half- 
grown  doe  now  appeared,  and  all  four  began  to  drift,  as  it  were, 
slowly  in  my  direction,  keeping  their  eyes  tixed  upon  me  all  the 
time.  Now  and  again  they  would  stop,  then  move  on  a  few  steps 
nearer,  but  after  a  long  time  they  grew  courageous  enough  to 
come  right  up  10  me,  and  the  younger  doe  sniffed  at  my  boot,  then 
started  back  some  paces,  her  companions  naturally  following  her 
example.  I  could  easily  have  touched  her  w  ith  my  hand  during  a 
good  part  of  the  time.  At  last  the  buck  lowered  his  horns  as  it  with 
the  intention  of  turning  me  over,  but  the  sun  was  now  sinking,  and 
I  was  obliged  to  take  m\  wa\'  homewards.  As  I  stirred  the 
huemules  made  off,  but  halted  at  a  short  distance  to  stare  again  at 
the  queer  ol^ject  which  had  for  the  first  time  in  tl.eir  lives  entered 
within  their  ken. 


282         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

That  evening,  as  we  sat  round  the  camp-fire.  Cattle  told  us  an 
amusine  story  illustrative  of  the  quickness  with  which  the  Canoe 
Indians  of  the  western  or  Pacific  coast  pick  up  the  art  of  hargain- 
ing.  He  with  two  companions  was  living  in  the  eternal  rain 
of  the  Chilian  side  of  the  Cordillera,  when  one  afternoon  they 
struck  a  camp  of  Canoe  Indians,  who  ran  away  into  the  forest  on 
seeing  the  boat  of  the  white  men  coming  up  the  fjord.  After  a 
time,  however,  curiosity  overcame  their  terror,  and  an  old  woman 
advanced  from  under  the  trees  and  commenced  to  open  communi- 
cations with  the;  travellers  by  means  of  signs.  She  was  probably 
sent  out  on  account  of  her  uselessness  to  the  tribe,  as,  in  the  event 
of  the  white  men  being  evilly  disposed,  her  loss  would  have  been  re- 
garded as  no  great  misfortune.  By-and-by  she  was  joined  by  the 
other  Indians,  and  the  party  fell  to  bartering.  One  of  the  English- 
men bouo-ht  a  fine  sea-otter's  skin  for  a  box  of  matches,  and  the  old 
lady,  who  had  made  the  first  advances,  was  asked  by  signs  if  she 
had  another  to  dispose  of  She  ran  back  into  the  forest  and 
presently  returned  with  the  half  of  a  skin  in  each  hand.  She 
demanded  a  box  of  matches  for  each  piece,  for,  thinking  to  improve 
upon  the  last  bargain,  she  had  cut  the  otter-skin  in  two  with  a  bit 
of  o-lass  ! 

Our  next  move  was  to  trace  the  river  up  to  its  source.  After 
assuring  ourselves  that  the  launch  could  not  go  up  the  stream, 
we  made  all  ship-shape  in  the  camp  and  prepared  to  go  ahead  by 
putting  our  bedding  and  food  in  the  canvas  boat.  We  set  out  one 
grey  morning,  following  the  left  bank  of  the  Katarina.  Parallel 
with  the  course  of  the  river  ran  a  chain  of  small  hillocks,  and 
behind  these  again  a  series  of  reedy  lagoons.  These  last  were 
literally  black  with  duck,  especially  the  variety  known  locally  as  the 
"white-faced  duck,"  otherwise  the  Chiloe  widgeon.  The  lagoons 
contained  brackish  water,  and  I  fancy  ihe  whole  depression  in 
which  they  lie  is  flooded  in  the  spring. 

^)n  this  day  Cattle  and  I,  from  the  top  of  a  hillock,  descried 
what  we  took  to  be  water  in  the  north  end  of  the  canadou.  This 
was  our  first  sight  of  the  lake  the  shores  of  which  I  afterwards 
reached. 

In  the  evening  we  camped  at  a  spot  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  a 


THE  RIVER  KATARINA  AND  LAKE  PEARSON 


^83 


tributary  of  the  Katarina  that  flowed  from  the  hills  on  the  eastern 
side.  At  this  point  Bernardo  knocked  up.  He  had  had  hard 
work  all  day  with  the  boat,  for  the  stream  was   full   of  shoals,  and 


RIVI:K    KATAklXA 


wind  and  current  were  strono-  ao-ainst  him.  He  had  been  in  the 
river  off  and  on,  and  as  he  was  already  suffering  from  a  slight  cold 
when  we  set  out  this  treatment  had  not  improved  it.  By  night  his 
chest  seemed  a  oood  deal  affected,  and  his  breathino-  was  difficult. 
The  rain  of  the  afternoon  turned  to  snow  in  the  nioht,  and  it  became 
very  cold,  a  comfortless  position  for  a  feverish  man.  ( )ur  means 
for  dealing  with  illness  were  limited,  but  hot  cocoa  and  rugs 
seemed  the  best  treatment  under  the  circunistances,  and  we  further 
sheltered  him  under  the  canvas  boat,  which,  being  turned  over, 
made  a  tolerable  hut. 

Having  brought  a  certain  amount  of  prcnlsii^ns  with  us,  we 
did  not  shoot  much.  There  can  be  little  question  that,  had  Pata- 
gonia been  a  country  rich  in  trophies,  its  less  remote  valleys  would 
lonof  aoro  have  known  the  crack  of  the  rifle.  b^ortunau-l\  for 
its  ferw  natii7'(C.  the  small  horns  of  Xcuclaphus  bisu/cus  do  not 
offer  sufficient  attraction.  There  is  no  sj)ort  on  c-arlh  tmcr  than 
biof-o-ame  shooting!"  in  moderation,  but  in  all  parts  of  the  world  1 
should  like  to  see  a  universal  law  prohibiting  any  one  sportsman 
or  professional  hunter  Ironi    shooting  more    than  a  limited   number 


2  84         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

of  a  particular  animal  in  a  year.  This  idea,  as  a  universal  law,  is,  of 
course,  impossible  of  fulfilment,  but  surely  in  sport  moderation  and 
a  due  regard  for  the  surviv^al  of  the  various  kinds  of  game  should 
be  the  i;iiitlin^-  rule  and  principle.  However,  my  pen  has  carried 
me  away.  1  merely  say  that  it  would  be  well  if  public  opinion 
trended  more  resolutely  towards  censuring  the  hunter  who  selfishly 
makes  immoderate  bags.  At  the  present  moment  he  is  looked 
upon  as  rather  a  fine  fellow  by  those  who  lack  any  real  knowledge 
of  the  subject,  for  no  man  is  more  strongly  opposed  to  such  doings 
than  the  true  sportsman. 

Owing  to  the  unfortunate  accident  of  Bernardo's  illness,  the 
general  advance  of  our  party  was  out  of  the  question.  It  only 
remained  for  me  to  push  on  alone,  and  to  give  up  any  attempt 
to  take  the  boat  farther.  Cattle  stayed  with  Bernardo,  to  look 
after  him,  while  I  went  on  up  the  valley  along  the  banks  of  the 
Katarina. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  all  the  cauaaoii  of  this  river 
formed  at  one  time  part  of  Lake  Argentino,  and  that  the  hills  in 
the  valley  were  merely  small  islands  in  the  same.  One  of  the 
most  interestinor  facts  in  connection  with  Lake  Arcrentino  is  the 
large  volume  of  water  that  is  precipitated  into  it  by  a  number 
of  rivers  and  mountain  torrents.  Besides  the  Rivers  Leona  and 
Katarina,  there  are  two  or  three  streams  of  considerable  size 
and  countless  snow-fed  cascades  fallino-  from  the  cliffs.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  only  large  outlet  is  the  River  Santa  Cruz,  and 
though  that  river  carries  off  an  important  amount  of  water  to 
the  Atlantic,  the  quantity  is  not  sufficient  to  account  for  the  fact 
that  the  great  lake  is  surely  if  slowly  shrinking  in  size.  The 
North  and  South  Fjords  with  their  adjoining  reaches  of  water 
at  one  time  formed  part  of  a  wide-spreading  lake,  whose  waters 
washed  completely  round  the  bases  of  the  mountains — such 
as  Mount  Ikienos  Aires — and  of  hills  that  now  stand  upon  out- 
jutting  points  of  land  or  actually  upon  the  present  lines  of  the 
shores.  The  reason  for  this  shrinkage  of  the  lake,  when  appear- 
ances would  seem  to  point  rather  to  increase  of  size,  is  difficult 
to  discover. 

The  features  of  the  canadoii  of  the  Katarina  changed  but  little 


< 


'A 


THE  RIVER  KATARINA  AND  LAKE  PEARSON      285 

as  I  walked  on  deeper  into  it.  I  saw  two  liucniul  bucks,  one  accom- 
panied by  two,  the  other  by  three  does ;  I  also  saw  some  guanacos. 
The  Giant's  Glacier,  which  crosses  the  head  of  Lake  Ar^rentino  as 


lb. 


I.AKE    PEAKSt.iN 


far  as  the  peninsula  on  which  we  camped,  ran  parallel  behind  the 
cliffs  of  the  western  shore,  glimmering  out  palcK  in  ibc  iiorih-west 
ahead  of  me.  Presently  I  passed  over  a  stream,  and  later  tojjping  a 
low  bluff  I  found  myself  on  the  shores  of  a  lake,  the  distant  gleam  of 
whose  waters  Cattle  and  I  had  seen  on  the  previous  day.  I  was.  of 
course,  very  eager  to  take  a  photograph  of  it.  but  everything  aroimd 
was  shrouded  in  mist,  and  I  had  with  me  only  a  binocular  camera. 
the  mechanism  of  which  did  not  jicrmit  of  long  exposures. 

I  must  admit  that  I  was  disap|)()intcd  with  the  lake  whrn 
I  arrived  at  it,  as  I  had  expected  a  much  larger  piece  of  w.iicr. 
The  nearer  shores  were  somewhat  low  and  covered  with  bouKlers. 
while  upon  the  farther  sides  rose  a  semicircle  of  hills  whose 
escarpments  fell  in  places  abrii])il\  lo  the  water.  Alxnit  tin-  in- 
ferior spurs  of  a  somewhat  higlu-r  mountain   lo  ihe  norili  a  dense 


286         THROUGH  THE   HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

black  forest  clung.  The  morning-  was  grey  and  the  water  lay  dark 
and  ruffled  under  a  chilling  wind,  while  about  the  distant  cliffs  of 
the  northern  shore  wreaths  of  cloud  hung  sullenly,  only  lifting  at 
intervals  here  and  there  sufficient  to  give  a  glimpse  of  the  bare 
crao's  behind  them. 

Towards  the  afternoon  luck  befriended  me,  for  the  sky  cleared 
and  the  sun  broke  out  for  a  short  time,  giving  me  the  opportunity 
I  had  l)fcn  hoping  for.  I  made  haste  to  use  the  camera  with  such 
results  as  will  be  seen  on  p.  285. 

This  lake  I  named  Lake  Pearson. 

(  )n  my  return  to  the  camp  I  found  the  sick  man  improving, 
which  was  a  relief,  as  under  the  circumstances  we  had  very  little  to 
give  him  in  the  way  of  comfort.  Bernardo  was  a  cheery  fellow, 
who  met  the  disagreeables  of  his  lot  good-temperedly,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  this  helped  towards  his  recovery.  Eventually  he  became 
quite  well. 

Durino-  the  ni^ht  a  comet  was  visible,  hauLrino-  in  the  clear 
sky  like  a  white  sword,  hilt  downwards.  It  was  very  brilliant  and 
very  beautiful,  seen  as  we  saw  it  above  the  dark  forest. 

There  were  many  reasons  why  I  hoped  to  be  able  to  push 
deeper  into  this  region,  but  it  was  growing  very  late  in  the  season, 
winter  with  its  acconipaniment  of  furious  storms  was  almost  upon 
us.  and  this  fact,  joined  with  the  strained  and  weakened  condition 
of  the  engine  of  the  launch,  compelled  us  to  give  up  the  thought  of 
further  exploration.  W^e  therefore  took  advantage  of  a  spell  of 
rather  better  weather  to  make  our  way  back  down  the  Fjord.  The 
wind  was  blowincj^  sulkih'  out  of  the  north,  but  this  eave  us 
the  benefit  of  a  following  sea.  Once  or  twice  during  our  passage 
squalls  overtook  us,  but  always  blowing  mercifully  in  the  direction 
of  our  course.  Thus  we  had  a  following  sea  right  up  to  the  cliffs 
of  Hellgate.  In  one  place  a  big  iceberg  had  stranded  beneath  the 
cliffs. 

We  landed  under  the  bluffs  of  Hellgate  and  lit  a  fire  of  Lefia 
dura,  which  roared  and  crackled  in  the  dusk,  lighting  up  the  gloom 
of  Hellgate  with  red  light.  Later  we  ran  across  safely  to  our 
anchorage  off  the  Burmeister  Peninsula. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

HOMEWARD 

Winter  comes  on — Departure  from  Lake  Argentino — Changed  aspect  of 
country — Snow-clouds — Indian  encampment — Race  with  the  snow — River 
Coyly— River  Gallegos — Ford — Signs  of  civilisation — Gallegos— Taking  pas- 
sage in  steamer — Lighted  street — Good-bye  to  Bernardo — Meeting  with 
Mr.  W'aag  and  Mr.  \'on  Plaatcn  Hallermund  on  the  Elena — What  Patagonia 
taught  me. 

A  FORTNIGHT  before  we  started  there  was  a  couple  of  feet  of  snow 
on  the  high  pampa.  Beside  the  lake  it  had  been  blowin^r  heavilv, 
and  storms  of  sleet  followed  each  other  in  dreary  succession. 
Every  morning"  we  saw  the  white  cloak  of  winter  throwin""  its 
snowy  folds  lower  and  lower  upon  the  mountains.  The  severe 
season  of  the  Cordillera  and  Southern  Patagonia  was  fast  shuttin"- 
us  in  ;  already  the  Pass  to  Punta  Arenas  was  closed  feet  deep  in 
snow,  and  our  only  outlet  for  the  south  la\'  towards  Callegos.  It 
had  been  my  wish  to  remain  as  long  as  possible  in  the  neighbour- 
hood ot  the  Andes,  but  I  had  overstayed  the  utmost  limit  I  origin- 
ally  set  myself,  and  now  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  make  a 
rush  for  the  coast  while  the  journey  could  still  be  made. 

On  May  15  we  started  in  hea\\-  rain.  The  horses  were  in 
excellent  condition  ;  indeed,  they  were  too  fat,  for  of  late  thev  had 
not  had  enough  exercise  to  prepare  them  for  a  very  trying  journev. 
We  took  three  cargtieros  besides  the  horses  for  riding,  and  the 
party  consisted  of  Mr.  Cattle's  shepherd,  George  Gregory.  Bernardo 
and  myself.  Ai  the  second  camp  Gregory  was  obliged  to  turn 
back,  as  his  horses — a  troop  of  colts — had  wandered  during  the 
night.  I  his  was  at  the  River  del  Bote  ;  from  there  Bernartlo  and 
1  went  on  alone.  We  found  the  aspect  t)f  the  couiUr\-  nuuh 
changed  since  we  had  crossed  it  three  and  a  half  months  j)reviousJy. 
The  green  grass  had  grown   vellow,  the  streams  cuul   liie   lauoons 


288         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

were  drxiiiL;"  up,  iuim1)(Ts  of  o'uanaco  liad  descended  to  the  lower 
oTOunds.  An  Indian  trader,  accompanied  by  a  few  tents  of  Indians, 
hatl  taken  up  (jiiarters  near  the  Ri\-er  CaHfate,  a  spot  formerly 
inhabited  bv  wildfowl  onK".  For  three'  days  we  followed  the  shore 
of  the  lake,  but  then  our  way  led  us  upon  to  the  high  pampa,  where 
we  made  our  camp  in  a  l)ushless  cahadon  beside  a  rocky  pool.  By 
this  time  the  horses  were  beginning  to  lose  their  tricks,  but  at  the 
outset  they  would  hardly  allow  themselves  to  be  caught,  and  they 
wandered  every  night.  The  cahadon  was  clear  of  snow,  but  the 
skv  was  heavy  with  the  promise  of  it.  We  hoped  most  heartih- 
that  it  would  give  us  two  more  days'  grace  before  it  fell. 

The  next  day  we  followed  the  cahadon,  which  was  a  shallow 
depression  running  south-west.  There  was  no  fuel  to  be  found 
but  the  thin  roots  of  the  dark  bush  known  as  mate  negra.  The 
early  frosts  made  travelling  difficult,  as  it  was  necessary  to  off- 
saddle  earlw  that  the  horses  mio-ht  not  be  turned  out  sweatino-  into 
the  cold.  We  covered  sixty  miles,  changing  horses  three  times, 
for  it  was  quite  clear  that  we  must  push  on  if  we  hoped  to  escape 
the  snow.  That  was  one  of  the  most  fatiguing  marches  we  had 
during  the  whole  expedition.  About  three  o'clock  I  espied  some 
herds  of  tame  cattle  in  the  distance  by  the  side  of  a  lagoon. 
These  proved  to  belong  to  some  tents  of  Indians.  The  men  were 
absent  hunting  and  the  camp  was  given  over  to  the  women  and 
decrepit  dogs.  An  enormous  china  sat  in  the  opening  of  the 
largest  toldo  ;  she  must  have  weicrhed  twenty  odd  stone  !  We  learned 
from  her  that  the  season  had  been  a  orood  one  for  guanaco  cJiicos. 

In  reply  to  our  (|uestion  as  to  how  far  we  might  be  from  the 
nearest  white  man's  habitation  on  the  next  stage  of  our  journey,  the 
fat  lady  waved  her  hand  picturesquely  and  vaguely  towards  the 
eastern  skv  but  did  not  commit  herself  to  fio-ures. 

The  Indian  encampment  made  a  singular  picture  against  a 
somewhat  striking  background.  The  western  sky  was  ])iling  up 
and  bulofed  with  snow-clouds,  while  the  sinkino-  sun  olowed  like  a 
reddiot  cannon  ball  on  the  rim  of  the  pampa.  Against  this  curtain 
of  colour  were  set  the  ])rown  tents  of  ouanaco-skin.  In  one  of 
these  a  small  fire  was  burning  with  little  fiames  about  an  old  meat 
tin  in  which  water  was  beintr  boiled  for  mate.     Around  the  women 


HOMEWARD  289 

sat  in  silence — saving  only  the  fat  spokeswoman — inert  and  appa- 
rently content  ;  occasionally  one  would  grunt  or  shift  the  child  at 
her  breast,  but  otherwise  one  heard  scarce  a  sound  Ijut  the  whim- 
pering of  the  wind  from  the  Cordillera  or  the  plashing  of  the  wild- 
fowl in  the  swampy  margin  of  the  lagoon. 

I  need  not  describe  at  length  the  days  which  followed.  In 
due  time  we  came  upon  a  wheeltrack  and  sighted  the  first  fence. 
This  was  in  the  valley  of  the  River  Coyly,  a  good  place  for  pastur- 
ing sheep,  but  inexpressibly  desolate  and  monotonous  in  aspect. 
For  two  days  w^e  held  along  in  this  valley  or  on  the  pampa 
immediately  above  it.  but,  remembering  our  experiences  near 
Santa  Cruz,  I  resolved  to  sleep  in  no  boliche  until  we  reached 
Gallegos. 

The  cafiadon  of  the  Coyly  was  fenced  at  intervals,  the  grass 
eaten  close  to  the  ground  by  many  sheep.  Thousands  of  wild 
geese  clamoured  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  In  this  river  valley 
we  made  our  last  camp  in  Patagonia.  There  was  no  wood  for 
fire,  and  the  horses  found  but  little  to  eat,  the  sun  set  among  sickly 
green  lights,  and  presently  rain  came  on.  Altogether  it  made 
a  dismal  good-bye  to  the  life  we  had  led  for  so  many  months. 

The  following  day,  striking  across  the  pampa  for  the  River 
Galleoos,  we  knew  ourselves  to  be  enterinor  on  the  last  stao^e  of  our 
wanderings.  And  here  we  very  nearly  had  a  disastrous  accident. 
Meeting  two  Gauchos,  we  asked  them  about  the  condition  of  the 
ford  over  the  Gallegos,  which  they  told  us  had  been  but  hock-high 
when  they  passed  through  with  their  horses.  Consequently,  when 
we  arrived  at  the  ford  half  an  hour  later,  we  took  our  troop  down 
into  the  water,  but  seeing  it  looked  uncomnionly  deep  for  the  de- 
scription given  us  by  the  Gauchos,  we  returned  to  the  shore,  and,  as 
there  happened  to  be  a  house  at  no  great  distance,  I  sent  Hernardo 
to  make  inquiries.  He  brought  back  the  news  that  the  tide 
was  running  strong  and  the  ford  quite  impracticable,  but  it  was 
possible  that  we  might  be  able  to  cross  higher  up  at  another  spot. 
We  followed  this  advice  and  crossed  in  safety,  1  vviih  my 
precious  photographs  tied  round  my  neck  ;  but  hail  we  tried 
the  lower  ford  I  am  very  sure  I  should  iia\e  lost  iluin  all.  which 
would  have  been  a  disappointment  indeed,  considering  the  circum 

T 


290         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

stances  under  which  they  had  been  taken  and  the  impossibility  of 
replacing'  them. 

Once  across  the  Gallegos  we  emerged  upon  flat  ground,  and 
here  we  found  a  road  with  a  Hne  of  telephone-posts  running  along 
one  side  of  it.  Gallegos  was  by  that  time  only  eighteen  miles 
ahead.  l)ut  with  our  tired  horses  that  appeared  a  long  distance. 
The  country  was  absolutely  featureless,  the  black  posts  sticking  up 
against  a  dull  skw  the  brown  earth  absorbino-  such  li^ht  as  there 
was.  A  very  cold  wind  blew  across  our  faces,  but  there  was  one 
thinof  that  cheered  us,  that  told  us  our  wanderings  were  over — the 
hunimin"-  of  the  wind  in  the  wires  overhead. 

The  road  dipped  and  rose  over  the  long  undulations,  and  at 
last,  as  we  topped  one  of  the  many  inclines,  Gallegos  straggled  into 
sight,  obviously  a  frontier  town,  all  wire  fences,  wooden  and 
corrugated-iron  houses  with  painted  roofs.  The  emotions  with 
which  one  returns  and  feels  the  lono-  wanderinofs  over  are  not 
easy  to  describe.  I  rode  slowly  up  the  main  street  and  passed  the 
bank — for  there  is  a  bank  at  Gallegos,  and  the  fact  gave  one  a 
sensation  of  being  very  civilised  indeed.  I  dismounted  and  went 
into  the  building  to  inquire  about  the  steamer  for  Punta  Arenas, 
where  I  hoped  to  pick  up  a  homeward-bound  boat.  A  steamboat 
was  to  have  started  for  Punta  Arenas  that  same  morning,  I  was 
told,  but  as  the  captain  was  in  gaol,  her  departure  had  been  post- 
poned for  a  day  or  so.  The  delay  seemed  a  special  dispensation 
for  my  benefit,  for,  had  she  adhered  to  her  original  date,  I  must 
have  been  too  late  to  go  by  her.  I  understood  that  the  captain's 
crime  lay  in  having  drawn  up  his  anchor  without  waiting  to 
receive  a  written  permit. 

LuckiK  I  had  not  been  preceded  at  Gallegos  by  any  "lord," 
hence  I  drew  the  cash  necessary  for  my  passage  and  {payments  at 
the  bank  without  anv  trouble.  Then  I  went  on  to  the  hotel  and 
\)\\i  up  my  horse,  the  good  little  big-hearted  Moro,  who  bad  carried 
me  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  three  days  and  looked  fat  on  it. 
Afterwards  I  bought  a  cigar,  a  very  bad  one,  but  a  cigar  for  all 
that,  and  so  proceeded  down  to  the  beach  to  secure  my  passage. 
Up  on  the  shingle  were  several  ships  high  and  dry,  and  out  in  the 
fairway  about  the  very  smallest  steamer  I   have  ever  seen,  yet  a 


HOMEWARD  291 

good  sea-boat,  as  I  afterwards  proved.  She  rejoiced  in  a  brilliant 
orreen  deck-house  two  storeys  hioh,  and  the  funnel  was  almost  on 
top  of  the  propeller  ! 

When  it  o-rew  dark  it  was  strang-e  to  walk  throu<'h  the  li^-hted 
streets  and  to  see  the  faces  pass  and  repass  beneath  the  lamps. 
There  was  a  delightful  sense  of  newness  about  it  all.  Hut  perhaps 
the  most  strange  sensation  was  produced  by  a  visit  to  the  hair- 
dresser's shop,  where  one  could  watch  in  the  glass  the  swift  trans- 
formation. Afterwards  it  was  quite  good  to  smoke  a  second 
execrable  cigar,  and  to  listen  to  the  hotel-keeper  in  another  room 
telling  some  of  his  friends  how  he  had  mistaken  me  for  a  camp- 
loafer  owing  to  my  patched  clothes  and  the  ragged  remnants  of 
my  boots,  and  had,  in  consequence,  led  me  to  an  outhouse,  pro- 
posing to  allow  me  to  sleep  there  ! 

Best  of  all,  perhaps,  was  the  civilised  dinner,  despite  the  atten- 
tions of  an  intoxicated  itinerant  dentist,  who  kept  on  reiterating 
the  same  question,  "  Have  you  ever  been  to  Xahuelhuapi  ?  "  the 
Juiapi  ending  in  a  wail — "  w-a-a-a-pi."  Bernardo  had  not  turned 
up  from  the  farm  where  we  had  left  the  horses,  and  a  gentleman 
connected  with  the  Government  w^ho  was  present,  understanding 
that  I  wished  to  see  him  before  sailing,  offered  to  send  a  file  of 
soldiers  to  look  for  him.  Presently  Bernardo  arrived,  and  then 
we  went  away  and  lit  our  pipes  for  a  last  talk  over  it  all. 

Next  morning  on  the  wet  shingle  I  said  good-bye  to  him, 
and  there  he  stood  for  a  while  as  the  boat  shoved  off  and  we 
rowed  away.  A  wild  figure  was  Master  Bernardo,  for  he  had  not 
vet  had  time  to  clothe  himself  in  the  (garments  of  civilisation. 
With  his  ragged  blue  jersey  and  his  big  boots  ol  potro  hide,  sur- 
mounted by  his  pleasant  bearded  face,  he  watched  us  through  the 
wind  and  the  rain,  and  then  he  turned  and  walked  away,  j)assing 
out  of  sight  among  the  sheds.  He  was  going  to  Santa  Cru/  1)\ 
the  horse-track.      Good  luck  to  him,  and  ma\-  we  meet  again  ! 

I  went  aboard,  little  guessing  the  pleasure  that  awaited  me,  Un- 
at  the  gangway-head  I  met  Mr.  Waag  and  Mr.  \'on  IMaaten 
Hallermund,  of  the  Boundary  Commission,  who  were  on  tlieir  way 
down  from  Santa  Cruz  to  Punta  Arenas.  Mr.  Waagand  I  had  Just 
missed  each  other  by  a  couple  of  hours  on  the  pampa  up  counir) 


292         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

some  months  earlier.  We  were  soon  deep  in  talk  about  the 
Cordillera,  and  all  that  had  happened  to  the  three  of  us  since  we 
last   met  at    the    Hotel    Phoenix    in    Buenos    Aires.       Mr.    Waag 


I'UNTA    ARENAS 


had  had  a  successful  time  about  Lake  Puerrydon,  and  Mr.  Von 
Plaaten  Hallermund  at  Lake  San  Martin.  Meantime  the  Elena  o-ot 
in  her  anchor,  and  we  w^ere  in  the  Magellan  Straits  by  nightfall. 

And  so  we  reached  Punta  Arenas,  where  I  was  show'n  much 
hospitality  by  Mr.  Perkins,  and  where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meet- 
ing Mr.  Fred  Waldron,  in  whose  company,  as  well  as  that  of  Mr. 
Waag  and  Mr.  V^on  Plaaten  Hallermund,  I  made  the  passage  to 
Buenos  Aires  by  the  Pacific  Company's  steamship  the  Orellana, 
and  so  home. 

To  turn  lor  a  moment  to  the  personal  point  of  view.  I  had 
landed  in  Patagonia  with  enthusiasm,  and  I  left  it  not  in  the  least 
damped  or  disheartened  in  that  enthusiasm,  but  very  much  the 
opposite.  I  had  learned  many  lessons  of  life,  passed  through 
many  experiences,   explored  a   small  part  of  the  earth's  surface, 


HOMEWARD 


^93 


and  made  some  original  observations  with  regard  to  the  zoology 
of  the  country  and  other  matters,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
the  most  useful  lesson  to  myself  was  one  that  sank  deeper  and 
deeper  into  my  mind,  1  might  say  heart,  with  every  day  lived  in 
these  ofreat  solitudes — and  that  was  the  knowledoe  of  mv  own 
ignorance.  The  long  solitary  days  in  the  forests,  on  the  pampas, 
and  about  the  stormy  fjords  of  the  Cordillera  brought  me  face 
to  face  with  Nature.  There  are  many  voices  in  the  silence  of 
Nature.  The  stars  above,  the  waters  beneath,  and  the  earth  all 
spoke  in  a  hundred  tongues,  and  little  enough  of  it  all  could  I, 
with  my  lack  of  knowledge,  interpret.  "  There  are  many  kinds 
of  voices  in  the  world,  and  none  of  them  is  without  signification," 
but  so  long  as  they  spoke  to  me  in  unknown  tongues  how  much 
was  I  the  better  ?  And  there  it  was  I  learned  the  useful  truth  that, 
to  be  a  traveller  of  any  value,  a  man  must  also  be  an  adequate 
interpreter. 


THK    AL  TllOK 


A   FEW   WORDS   ABOUT   THE    FUTURE    OF 

PATAGONIA 

It  wniikl  be  possible  to  write  a  very  long  chapter  about  the  future 
of  Patagonia.  I  do  not,  however,  propose  to  do  this,  but  to  write 
what  I  have  to  say  as  briefly  as  possible. 

To  begin  with,  Patagonia  can  boast  of  a  fine  climate,  for,  though 
the  winters  are  certainly  hard,  no  endemic  disease  exists.  The 
country  is  exceptionally  healthy,  nor  are  there  any  poisonous  reptiles 
to  endanger  life  on  its  far-reaching  pampas.  There  are  few  parts 
of  the  earth  of  which  so  much  can  be  said. 

A  large  portion  of  the  land  is  eminently  suited  for  the  support 
of  sheep,  as  the  enormous  and  prosperous  sheep-farms  to  be  found 
along  the  east  and  south  coasts  bear  witness.  Cattle  and  horse- 
breeding  are  also  successfully  carried  on,  and  although  a  portion 
of  the  country  is  unsuited  for  agricultural  purposes,  it  is  equally 
certain  that  large  expanses  of  ground  of  great  fertility  and  rich 
promise  are  to  be  found  here. 

The  tide  of  pastoral  life  from  the  thriving  southern  farms 
round  and  about  Punta  Arenas  on  the  Straits  of  Maofellan,  and 
Gallegos  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  is  setting  strongly  north  and  west. 
The  crying  want  of  the  country  is  capital  to  open  up  means  of 
communication  with  the  interior.  At  present  there  are  no  railways 
or  other  settled  lines  for  the  transport  of  produce,  although  I  believe 
a  steam-launch  has  lately  been  placed  upon  the  River  Santa  Cruz. 
In  consequence  of  this  lack  some  farmers  have  to  carry  wool  two 
hundred  miles  by  bullock-cart  to  the  coast ;  a  few  cover  even  a 
greater  distance.  To  send  wool  two  hundred  miles  in  bullock- 
carts  means  at  least  three  weeks  of  travel.  To  ofo  and  come  from 
the   farm   to  the  coast  would  thus  take  up  about  two  months  of  a 


ABOUT  THE  FUTURE  OF  PATAGONIA  295 

farmer's  time.  Peones  are  necessary  to  look  after  the  carts,  and 
their  wage  is  at  least  ^5  a  month  and  their  keep.  Then  carts  not 
infrequently  break  down  upon  the  rough  surfaces  of  the  pampas 
and  in  the  canadoiies,  hence  more  delay.  Even  when  the  port  is 
reached  difficulties  have  to  be  surmounted,  for  none  of  them,  with 
the  exception  of  Punta  Arenas,  are  served  by  any  steamship  lines. 
This  was  so  at  the  time  of  my  being  in  Patagonia  last  year 
{1901).  Government  transports  from  Buenos  Aires  had  the  whole 
of  the  coast  service  of  Arofentine  Patacjonia  in  their  hands,  and 
these  could  boast  of  only  very  uncertain  dates  of  departure  and 
still  more  uncertain  dates  of  arrival. 

All  these  difficulties  of  transit  do  not  make  for  prosperity.  1 
understand  that  of  late  a  German  line  has  undertaken  to  call  at 
some  of  the  ports,  and  if  they  carry  out  their  contract  it  should 
help  events  in  Patagonia  to  get  into  the  stride  of  success. 

On  the  coast-farms,  where  ships  could  and  did  occasionally  put 
in,  especially  in  the  wool  season,  money  was  made  and  men  began 
to  see  fortune  ahead.  But  far  away  in  the  interior,  where  a  very 
few  pioneers  have  made  their  homes  beside  a  lake  here  and  there, 
the  wide  and  uninhabited  pampas  lie  between  the  producer  and  his 
market.  Until  railways  open  up  the  land  the  position  of  these 
people  cannot  much  improve.  They  are  too  heavily  handicapped 
in  the  race. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  tell  what  enormous  numbers  of  sheep 
and  cattle  Patagonia  could  produce  for  the  providing  of  the  world 
if  capital  and  enterprise  would  but  pave  the  way.  In  the  meantime 
the  country  remains  the  paradise  of  the  middleman.  At  present 
there  is  little  money  in  hand,  much  of  the  trade  is  carried  on  by 
barter,  and  on  this  system  there  is  always  an  evil  tendency  towards 
profits  accruing  mostly  to  the  storekeepers,  wlio  gradually  become 
more  or  less  masters  of  the  situation.  Many  of  the  small  tarmers 
are  deeply  in  debt  to  this  class.  A  hard  winter — and  there  are 
often  very  hard  winters — fills  the  pocket  of  the  storekeeper,  for 
they  advance  provisions,  without  which  no  man  can  continue  to 
live,  and  they,  of  course,  thus  secure  mortgages  on  the  farms. 

This  same  unfortunate  liabiliiv  is  ob.servablc  in  other  countries 
where  similar  conditions  obtain,  but  the  opening  up  of  the  interior 


296         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

of  Patagonia  and  the  introduction  of  capital  in  the  hands  of 
employers  of  labour  would  probably  lessen  the  pressure  of  hard 
times  on  the  poorer  farmers. 

Beyond  the  pampas  again  tower  the  unnumbered  peaks  of  the 
Cordillera,  and  among  them  all  things,  minerally  speaking,  are 
possible.  Perhaps  the  future  of  Patagonia  is  to  be  found  there.  In 
a  few  years  the  Patagonian  Andes  may  be  as  commonly  known  a 
seeking-place  for  fortune  as  Klondyke  is  to-day.  But  concerning 
this  part  of  the  subject  I  have  nothing  to  say,  being  no  prophet  of 
El  Dorados. 

Although  during  our  travels  we  had  little  time  to  spare  for 
prospecting,  or  searching  for  the  mineral  wealth  which  may  lie 
hidden  in  the  Cordillera,  yet  there  was  one  obvious  source  of 
riches  that  was  always  before  our  eyes  in  those  regions. 

The  coast-towns  of  Patagonia  are  supplied  with  wood  by  sea 
from  the  woodlands  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  and  this  while  many 
square  miles  about  the  bases  of  the  Andes  are  covered  with 
dense  forests  of  mao-nificent  orowth.  Here  are  to  be  found 
beech,  cypress  and  redwood,  not  to  speak  of  other  trees,  but  the 
absolute  absence  of  any  means  of  conveying  logs  to  the  coast  has 
so  far  left  this  store  of  wealth  untouched.  Until  better  means  of 
transport  can  be  developed,  there  are  certainly  one  or  two  rivers 
which  miofht  be  made  use  of  in  this  connection. 

I  can  only  insist  upon  the  fact  that  Patagonia  is  a  great  though 
at  present  undeveloped  land  ;  that  it  cries  aloud  to  railway  enter- 
prise to  become  its  salvation.  Nevertheless,  it  is  even  now  a  good 
country  for  the  man  ready  and  able  to  work.  A  capable  man  will 
make  £6  a  month  and  his  keep,  but  he  must  know  the  work 
required  of  him  ;  a  considerable  time  has  to  be  spent  in  learning  the 
skilled  labour  of  camp  life,  and  \ery  hard  labour  that  sometimes  is. 
An  emigrant  does  not  consequently  find  it  so  easy  to  get  employ- 
ment. P)Ut,  given  vigorous  health,  an  aptitude  for  hard  work,  and 
a  small  sum  in  hand  to  keep  him  going  until  he  is  broken  in  to  the 
necessities  of  the  life,  and  I  know  of  few  countries  more  favourable 
to  the  umnorried  working  man. 

There  is  something  further  which  I  should  like  to  sues'est  to 
intending  emigrants  of  my  own  nation. 


&fc> 


ABOUT  THE  FUTURE  OF  PATAGONIA  297 

The  greatest  of  British  exports  is,  one  mi^ht  contend, 
Britishers. 

The  attitude  of  the  young  Britisher  abroad  towards  the  rest  of 
the  world  in  oeneral  is  at  once  a  source  of  crreat  national  strength 
and  of  serious  national  weakness. 

First,  as  we  know,  he  is  a  poor  ling-uist,  who  prefers  to  go  on 
speaking  his  own  language,  and,  when  not  understood,  attempting 
to  enforce  comprehension  by  the  very  simple  expedient  of  shouting- 
louder.  The  result  of  this  uncompromising  attitude,  backed  by  a 
o'ood  national  financial  status,  is  that  as  the  mountain  will  not  o-o  to 
Mahomet,  Mahomet  must  needs  come  to  the  mountain,  and  the 
foreign  Mahomet  does  come,  wrestling  his  way  through  difficulties 
of  pronunciation.  By  his  attitude  in  this  matter — an  attitude 
dictated  partly  by  a  too  common  lack  of  the  linguistic  faculty  and 
partly  by  a  certain  rooted  conviction  that  a  man  who  cannot  speak 
English  is  a  man  of  "  lesser  breed  " — the  Britisher  has  to  a  certain 
extent  forced  English  upon  a  very  unwilling  world. 

But  whether  this  question  of  the  one-language  system  is  a  loss 
or  a  gain  to  the  country,  it  is  very  certain  that  there  is  another 
idiosyncrasy  of  the  Englishman  abroad  which  is  an  undoubted  loss. 
Every  country  has  its  own  ways  and  methods,  not  only  peculiar 
to  its  inhabitants  but  adapted  to  their  special  needs.  And  here 
the  brusque  unadaptability  of  the  Englishman  becomes  pitifully 
apparent. 

He  loses  immensely  by  it.  He  will  ride  on  his  English  saddle 
because  he  has  been  used  to  ride  on  it  at  home  ;  he  will  wear  his 
pigskin  leggings  for  precisely  the  same  reason. 

You  cannot  teach  him  that  he  who  walks  in  a  noontide  sun 
in  latitudes  near  the  equator  is  sometimes  apt  to  contract  a 
fever.  Of  course  I  refer  chiefiv  to  the  "  new  chum,"  but  we  have 
an  unfortunate  grift  of  remainini-'  new  chums  for  an  indefinite 
period. 

Our  young  blood  is  very  sure  of  himself,  which  is  a  first-rate 
national  trait,  and  one  to  which  as  a  natii)n  we,  no  doubt,  owe 
much.  But  it  has  its  drawback?.  Thus,  although  lu-  is  pliysically 
excellent  beyond  his  fellows,  his  death-rate  is  usuall)'  luavier, 
which  in  the  nature  of  thiu'-s  it  ou^ht  not  to  be.   ' 


298         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

But  in  cases  where  adhesion  to  the  methods  of  the  country  to 
which  he  has  migrrated  touches  not  himself  but  his  ^oods  and  his 
work  he  needlessly — indeed,  almost  mischievously — handicaps 
himself.  He  takes  pride  in  occupying  a  position  of  more  or  less 
splendid  isolation. 

The  Britisher  lacks  adaptability.  He  lacks  suavity.  He  often 
lacks  common  politeness.  In  fact,  he  is  a  good  fellow  when  you 
know  him,  but  you  have  got  to  know  him  first.  An  excellent 
reputation  to  possess,  perhaps,  apart  from  business,  and  when  your 
position  is  assured.  But  in  foreign  countries,  and  in  the  case  of 
dealing"  with  strangers  of  other  nations,  who  are  very  apt  to  like 
or  dislike  at  first  sight,  its  results  are  disastrous,  for  they  rarely 
reconsider  their  first  opinion. 

The  Continental  races,  on  the  other  hand,  aim  at  merging  their 
individuality  in  that  of  their  temporary  hosts.  Actuated  by  a 
sense  of  politeness  or  of  self-interest— I  do  not  know  which — these 
peoples  do  not  thrust  forward  the  fact  that  they  are  aliens,  but 
rather  try  to  foster  the  idea  that  the  land  of  their  adoption  is  their 
own.  But  when  the  young  Englishman  comes  along,  his  manner 
placards  him  with  his  nationality.  He  seems  to  say,  "  You  fellows, 
I've  got  to  live  here.  Fate  orders  it.  But  I  am  not  of  you.  Apart 
from  business,  leave  me  alone." 

He  and  his  compatriots  are  sufficient  unto  themselves.  And 
not  infrequently  also,  though  strangers  in  a  strange  land,  they  are 
a  law  unto  themselves.  Now  this  is  all  very  well  in  its  way,  and 
we  would  not,  I  suppose,  have  it  otherwise  ;  yet,  if  the  English 
youth  abroad  would  modify  their  attitude  towards  the  works  of  the 
alien,  even  while,  if  they  so  choose,  preserving  it  towards  the  alien 
himself,  they  would  rise  to  greater  heights  of  success  than  they  at 
present  touch. 

The  fact  is  that  the  alien  thinks  the  Englishman  is  a  fool  of  a 
very  notable  kind,  and  in  many  cases  he  is  right. 

It  is  not  in  the  excellence  of  their  goods,  or  even  in  the 
cheapness  of  their  tariff,  that  the  Germans  are  forging  ahead  of 
us  in  trade.  It  is  in  their  attitude  towards  those  with  whom 
they  deal.  They  make  an  art  of  selling  a  yard  of  red  flannel 
to  an  elderly  negress.     The  negress  feels  the  compliment,  rather 


ABOUT  THE  FUTURE  OF  PATAGONIA  299 

despises  the  compHmenter,  but  likes  it  on  the  whole — and  comes 


a  oral  n. 


While  the  German  studies  the  people  who  are  to  buy  his  goods 
in  a  spirit  of  subtlety,  the  Englishman  makes  up  his  mind  without 
considering-  anybody  save  himself  and  his  own  ideas.  In  the  days 
before  competition  assumed  its  present  proportions  this  was  all 
very  well,  perhaps  ;  or  at  least  it  was  not  the  commercial  suicide 
that  it  certainly  is  to-day. 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  employer,  the  E^nglishman  does 
not  know  his  work.  He  has  i^^o  money.  He  must,  therefore, 
earn  something.  He  expects  to  be  allowed  to  earn  and  learn  at 
one  and  the  same  time,  which  is  an  absurd  notion. 

The  cause  of  all  this  is  the  same  as  that  which  sends  out  tirst- 
rate  ©"oods  but  to  the  wrono-  market. 

The  fact  is,  we  do  not  study  our  markets  seriously  either  for 
mercantile  or  for  human  exports. 

If  the  South  Sea  Islanders  want  red  cloth  we  send  them  yellow, 
and  if  in  Patagonia  there  is  an  opening  for  men  who  are  decent 
practical  blacksmiths,  we  send  them  a  stream  of  youths  who  have 
never  fullered  a  shoe,  but  who  are  well  up  in  the  rudiments  ol 
Greek. 

■■'•  I  have  watched  with  considerable  interest  the  methods  adopted  by  the  Germans 
as  opposed  to  those  of  the  young  man  of  our  own  race.  I  remember  an  instance  of  a 
German  who  set  up  as  a  chemist  in  a  town  out  Central  America  way,  and  whose  chief 
source  of  income  came  from  the  sale  of  drugs  to  rather  impressionable  negroes.  In 
his  place  the  EngUshman  would  have  laid  in  decent  English  drugs,  would  have  sat 
behind  his  counter,  and  would  have  dispensed  in  stolid  fashion  to  the  limit  of  the 
abilities  with  which  he  was  blessed.  Not  so  our  German  friend.  His  drugs  were  good, 
but  not  supremely  so ;  his  prices  were  cost  prices,  with  a  mere  shaving  of  profit. 

But  his  method  was  excellent. 

He  made  a  character-study  of  each  of  his  customers.  He  sold  a  fine  tonic,  coloured 
red  and  reported  invincible.  He  put  the  title  of  Dr.  before  his  name,  and  advertised 
free  consultations,  provided  the  patients  bought  their  medicines  at  his  store.  He 
throve. 


APPENDIX   A 


The  expedition  sent  out  to  Patagonia  under  my  charge  by  Mr.  C.  Arthur 
Pearson  owed  its  origin  to  the  discoveries  made  in  that  country  by 
Dr.  F.  P.  IMoreno  of  certain  remains  of  an  animal,  the  Pampean  Mylodon 
or  Giant  Ground  Sloth,  long  believed  to  belong  to  the  category  of  extinct 
prehistoric  mammals.  The  marvellous  state  of  preservation  of  the 
remains  found  at  Last  Hope  Inlet  seemed  to  give  some  ground  for 
the  supposition  that  the  animal  might  possibly  have  survived  to  a 
recent  period.  Professor  Ray  Lankester,  the  Director  of  the  British 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  in  commenting  upon  the  chance  of  the 
Mylodon  being  still  alive  in  some  remote  and  unknown  region  of  Pata- 
gonia, said  :  "  It  is  quite  possible — I  don't  want  to  say  more  than  that — 
that  he  still  exists  in  some  of  the  mountainous  regions  of  Patagonia." 
These  words  from  such  an  authority  carried  weight,  and  the  question 
assumed  an  importance  that  made  it  worth  all  practicable  examination. 
I  have  in  the  following  pages  put  the  whole  case  as  clearly  and  as 
definitely  as  lies  in  my  power. 

To  begin  with,  I  give  the  story  of  Dr.  INIoreno's  discovery  as  he  him- 
self told  it  to  the  Zoological  Society,  and  the  description  of  the  remains 
hy  Dr.  A.  Smith  Woodward,  LL.D.,  F.R.S. 


I.  Account  of  the  Discovery.     By  Dr.  Moreno. 

In  November  1897  I  paid  a  visit  to  that  part  of  the  Patagonian 
territory  which  adjoins  the  Cordillera  of  the  Andes,  between  the  5  i  st  and 
52nd  degrees  of  South  latitude,  where  certain  surveyors,  under  my 
direction,  were  carrying  out  the  preliminary  studies  connected  with  the 
boundary-line  between  Chile  and  Argentina  ;  and  in  the  course  of  this 
expedition  I  reached  Consuelo  Cove,  which  lies  in  Last  Hope  Inlet.  In 
that  spot,  hung  up  on  a  tree,  I  found  a  piece  of  a  dried  skin,  which  attracted 
my  attention  most  strangely,  as  I  could  not  determine  to  what  class  of 
Mammalia  it  could  belong,  more  especially  because  of  the  resemblance  of 
the  small  incrusted  bones  it  contained  to  those  of  the   Pampean  Mj'/ot/o'i. 


302         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

On  inquiring  whence  it  came,  I  was  informed  that  it  was  only  a  fragment 
of  a  large  piece  of  skin  which  had  been  discovered  two  years  before,  by 
some  Argentine  officers,  in  a  cavern  which  existed  in  the  neighbouring 
heights.  Immediately  on  receiving  this  news,  I  hastened  to  the  spot, 
guided  by  a  sailor  who  had  been  present  when  the  original  discovery  had 
been  made.  As,  at  that  moment,  I  had  no  means  of  making  more  than 
a  few  hurried  excavations,  which  gave  no  further  traces  of  the  discovery, 
I  left  orders  that  the  search  should  be  continued  after  my  departure  ;  but 
this  once  more  also  failed  to  give  any  ultimate  results.  Nothing  could 
be  found  but  modern  remains  of  small  rodents,  and  these  chiefly  on  or 
near  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Froin  the  most  careful  inquiries  which  I 
set  on  foot,  it  appeared  th.it,  when  the  first  discovery  was  made,  no  bones 
were  found,  the  skin  being  half  buried  in  the  dust  which  had  accumulated 
from  the  gradual  falling  away  of  the  roof  of  the  cavern,  composed  of 
Tertiary  Conglomerate.  It  was  only  in  the  broad  entrance  to  the  cavern 
that  were  found  a  few  human  bones,  borne  thence  to  the  shore  of  the 
Cove  and  afterwards  broken  up. 

As  already  stated,  the  skin  here  presented  to  you  formed  but  a  small 
part  of  H  larger  one.  One  small  piece  had  been  carried  off  by  Dr.  Otto 
Nordenskjiild,  and  others  by  officers  of  the  Chilian  Navy,  who  later  on 
had  visited  the  spot.  The  inhabitants  of  the  locality  looked  upon  it  as 
an  interesting  curiosity,  some  of  them  believing  that  it  was  the  hide  of  a 
cow  incrusted  with  pebbles,  and  others  asserting  that  it  was  the  skin  of  a 
large  Seal  belonging  to  a  hitherto  unknown  species. 

In  Consuelo  Cove,  I  embarked  on  board  a  small  Argentine  transport, 
which  had  been  placed  at  my  disposal  to  carry  out  the  study  of  the 
western  coast  as  far  as  Port  Montt,  in  lat.  42°.  At  this  latter  place 
I  left  the  steamer,  which  then  proceeded  to  make  a  series  of  surveys. 
These  lasted  until  her  return  to  La  Plata,  at  the  latter  end  of  July  1898, 
when  she  brought  back  to  me  the  fragment  of  skin  in  question. 

This  is  an  accurate  and  true  version  of  the  discovery  of  this  skin, 
which  gave  rise  to  the  publication  of  Senor  Ameghino's  small  pamphlet,* 
in  which  he  gave  an  account  of  the  discovery  of  a  living  representative  of 
the  "  Gravigrades "  of  Argentina,  distinguishing  it  by  the  name  of 
"  Neomylodon  listai^ 

I  have  an  idea  that  Sefior  Ameghino  never  saw  the  skin  itself,  but 
only  some  of  the  small  incrusted  bones,  of  which  he  had  obtained  posses- 
sion. The  vague  form  in  which  he  draws  up  his  account  compels  me  to 
believe  this  suspicion  to  be  true. 

'■■■  F.  .Ameghino,  "  Premiere  Notice  sur  le  Neomylodon  listai,  un  Kcpresentant  vivant 
des  ancieiis  lulentcs  Gravigrade.s  fossiles  de  I'Argcntina"  (La  Plata,  August  1898); 
translated  under  the  title  "  An  Existing  Ground-Slotli  in  Patagonia,"  in  "  Natural 
Science,"  vol.  xiii  (i8g8),  pp.  324-326. 


APPENDIX  A  303 

My  opinion  is  that  this  skin  belongs  to  a  genuine  Pampean  Mylodon, 
preserved  under  peculiar  circumstances  resembling  those  to  which  we  owe 
the  skin  and  feathers  of  the  Moa.  I  have  always  maintained  that  the 
Pampean  Edentates,  now  extinct,  disappeared  only  in  the  epoch  which  is 
called  the  "  historical  epoch  "  of  our  America.  In  the  province  of  Buenos 
Aires,  buried  chiefly  in  the  humus,  I  have  found  remains  of  Panochthus, 
and  others  of  the  same  Mylodon  from  the  seashore,  all  of  which  present 
the  same  characteristic  marks  of  preservation  as  the  remains  of  human 
beings  discovered  in  the  same  spot.  In  this  identical  layer  of  the 
sea-shore,  close  to  the  bones  I  have  also  found  stones  polished  by 
the  hand  of  man,  and  flints  cut  like  those  found  in  the  Pampean 
formation.  In  1884,  in  a  cavern  near  to  the  Rio  de  los  Patos,  in  the 
Cordillera,  I  discovered  some  paintings  in  red  ochre,  one  of  which, 
in  my  opinion,  resembles  the  Glyptodon  on  account  of  the  shape  of  the 
carapace. 

Ancient  chroniclers  inform  us  that  the  indigenous  inhabitants  recorded 
the  existence  of  a  strange,  uyl}',  huge  hairy  animal  which  had  its  abode  in 
the  Cordillera  to  the  south  of  lat.  37°.  The  Tehuelches  and  the  Genna- 
kens  have  mentioned  similar  animals  to  me,  of  vv'hose  existence  their 
ancestors  had  transmitted  the  remembrance  ;  and  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Rio  Negro,  the  aged  cacique  Sinchel,  in  1875,  pointed  out  to  me 
a  cave,  the  supposed  lair  of  one  of  these  monsters,  called  "  KUengassen  "  ; 
but  I  must  add  that  none  of  the  many  Indians  with  whom  I  have  con- 
versed in  Patagonia  have  ever  referred  to  the  actual  existence  of  animals 
to  which  we  can  attribute  the  skin  in  question,  nor  even  of  any  which 
answer  to  the  suppositions  of  Seuor  Ameghino  according  to  Sefior  Lista. 
It  is  but  rarely  that  a  few  Otters  {Lnira)  are  found  in  the  lakes  and 
rivers  of  the  Andes,  as  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Lake  Argentino,  in  the 
"  Sierra  de  las  Viscachas,"  and  in  the  regions  which  I  believe  Sefior  Lista 
visited,  there  are  only  a  few  scarce  Chinchillas  {Ld^i^idiiiitt),  which  have  a 
colouring  more  dark  greyish  than  those  found  to  the  north,  and  are  in 
every  case  separated  from  these  by  a  large  extent  of  country. 

The  Pampean  Edentata  have  in  former  days  certainly  existed  as  far 
south  as  the  extreme  limit  of  Patagonia.  In  1S74,  in  the  bay  of  Santa 
Cruz,  I  met  with  the  remains  of  a /^/rvV  of  one  of  these  animals  in  Pleis- 
tocene deposits,  and  also  remains  of  the  mammals  which  are  found  in  the 
same  formation,  such  as  the  Macraiicluuia  and  Auchcnia.  It  would  not 
be  astonishing  that  the  skin  of  one  of  these  should  have  been  preserved 
so  long,  because  of  the  favourable  conditions  of  the  spot  in  which  it  was 
found. 

The  state  of  preservation  of  this  piece  of  skin,  at  first  sight,  makes  it 
difficult  for  one  to  believe  it  to  be  of  great  anticiuity  ;  but  this  is  by 
no   means   an    impossibility,  if  we  consider  the  conditions  of  the   cave   in 


304         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

which  it  was  found,  the  atmosphere  of  which  is  not  so  damp  as  one  might 
at  first  imagine  it  to  be,  although  it  is  situated  in  the  woody  regions  near 
to  the  glaciers  and  lakes.  It  is  well  to  mention  that  in  1877,  under 
similar  conditions,  and  in  a  much  smaller  cave,  scarcely  five  metres  from 
the  waters  of  Lake  Argentine,  situated  sixty  miles  more  to  the  north,  I 
discovered  a  mummified  human  body  painted  red,  with  the  head  still 
covered  in  part  with  its  short  hair  wonderfully  preserved,  and  wrapped  up 
in  a  covering  made  of  the  skin  of  a  Rhea,  and  holding  in  its  arms  a 
large  feather  of  the  Condor,  also  painted  red  ;  this  was  all  covered  up 
with  a  layer  of  grass  and  dust  fallen  from  the  roof  of  the  cave.  In 
another  cave  in  the  neighbourhood  I  discovered  a  large  trunk  of  a  tree, 
painted  with  figures  in  red,  black,  and  yellow.  The  sides  of  the  rock 
close  to  the  entrance  of  the  cave  were  covered  with  figures,  some  repre- 
senting the  human  hand,  others  combinations  of  curved,  straight,  and 
circular  lines,  painted  white,  red,  yellow,  and  green.  Now,  this  mummy, 
which  is  preserved  in  the  Museum  of  La  Plata,  does  not  belong  to  any  of 
the  actual  tribes  of  Patagonia.  Its  skull  resembles  rather  one  of  those 
more  ancient  races  found  in  the  cemeteries  in  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Negro 
— a  most  interesting  fact,  since  they  belong  to  types  which  have  com- 
pletely disappeared  from  the  Patagonian  regions,  and  it  is  well  known 
that  the  actual  Tehuelches  may  be  considered  to  have  been  the  last 
indigenous  races  which  reached  the  territory  of  Patagonia.  Many  a  time 
the  Tehuelches  have  spoken  to  me  of  these  caves  as  abodes  of  the  evil 
"  spirits,"  and  of  the  enigmatical  painted  figures  they  contained  :  some 
attributed  the  latter  to  these  same  "  spirits,"  others  to  men  of  other  races, 
of  whom  they  have  no  recollection.  In  another  cave,  four  hundred  miles 
farther  to  the  north,  in  1880,  I  discovered  other  human  bodies,  more  or 
less  mummified  and  in  good  preservation,  but  of  a  different  type,  and 
beside  them  some  painted  poles  which  served  to  hold  up  their  small 
tents,  the  use  of  which  had  already  disappeared  more  than  three  centu- 
ries ago  ;  together  with  the  upper  part  of  the  skull  of  a  child  perfectly 
scooped  out  like  a  cup.  And  yet  the  historical  Tehuelches,  the  same  as 
all  the  indigenous  races  in  the  southern  extremity  of  South  America,  hold 
their  dead  in  great  respect,  and  never  use  such  drinking-vessels. 

These  proofs  of  the  favourable  conditions  of  the  climate  and  of  the 
lands  near  to  the  Cordillera,  which  are  revealed  to  us  by  the  preservation 
of  objects  undoubtedly  dating  from  very  remote  epochs,  strengthen  my 
opinion  that  this  skin  of  a  huge  mammal,  which  has  long  since  disappeared, 
may  well  have  been  preserved  till  the  present  time. 

I  may  add  that  a  further  careful  search  is  now  being  made  in  the 
earth  forming  the  floor  of  the  cave,  and  I  hope  in  due  time  to  have  the 
honour  of  communicating  the  results  to  this  Society. 


APPENDIX  A  305 

II.  DescriptiOxN  and  Comparison   of  the  Specimen. 
By  A.  Smith  Woodward. 

(a)  Description. 

The  problematical  piece  of  skin  discovered  by  Dr.  Moreno  measures 
approximately  0.48  m.  in  the  direction  of  the  main  lie  of  the  hair,  while 
its  maximum  extent  at  right  angles  to  this  direction  is  about  0.55  m. 
The  fragment,  however,  is  very  irregular  in  shape  ;  and  it  has  become 
much  distorted  in  the  process  of  drying,  so  that  the  anterior  portion, 
which  is  directed  upwards  in  the  drawing,  is  bent  outwards  at  a  consider- 
able angle  to  the  main  part  of  the  specimen  which  will  be  claimed 
to  represent  the  back.  The  skin,  as  observed  in  transverse  section, 
presents  a  dried,  felt-like  aspect ;  but  there  is  a  frequent  ruddiness,  sug- 
gestive of  blood-stains,  while  the  m.argin  exhibits  distinct  indications  of 
freshly  dried  once-fluid  matter,  which  Dr.  \^aughan  Harley  has  kindly 
examined  and  pronounced  to  be  serum.  Its  outer  face  is  completely 
covered  with  hair,  except  in  the  region  marked  C  and  above  B,  where  this 
covering  seems  to  have  been  comparatively  fine  and  may  have  been 
accidentally  removed.  The  inner  face  of  the  skin  is  only  intact  in  a  few 
places,  the  specimen  having  contracted  and  perhaps  been  somewhat 
abraded,  so  that  a  remarkable  armour  of  small  bony  tubercles,  irregularly 
arranged  and  of  variable  size,  is  exposed  over  the  greater  part  of  it.  At 
one  point  there  is  an  irregular  rounded  hole  about  0.02  m.  in  diameter, 
which  might  possibly  have  been  caused  by  a  bullet  or  a  dagger,  but  in 
any  case  was  probably  pierced  when  the  skin  was  still  fresh.  Owing  to 
its  direction,  this  hole  is  partly  obscured  by  the  overhangintr  hair. 

The  skin  in  its  dried  state  varies  in  thickness  in  different  parts.  The 
average  thickness  of  the  flattened  portion,  which  must  be  referred  to  the 
back,  is  shown  by  the  cleanly-cut  right  margin  of  the  specimen  to  be 
O.oi  m.  This  is  slightly  increased  towards  the  posterior  (lower)  end  of 
the  border,  while  above  it  the  thickness  becomes  0.015  m.  The  latter 
thickness  also  seems  to  be  attained  in  the  much-shrivelled  corner 
marked  C — a  circumstance  suggesting  bilateral  symmetry  between  at  least 
part  of  the  two  anterior  outer  angles  of  the  specimen.  The  thinnest  por- 
tion preserved  is  the  border  above  H  ;  and  the  skin  must  also  have  been 
comparatively  thin  in  the  region  of  the  accidental  notch  to  the  left, 
considerably  below  C. 

The  portion  of  skin  above  H  is  interesting  not  only  from  its  relative 
thinness,  but  also  from  the  occurrence  of  an  api)arently  natural  rounded 
concavity  in  the  margin.  This  excavation,  which  measures  0.05  m.  along 
the    curve,   is   marked    by  the    remains   of   a    thin    flexible   flap,  which   is 


3o6         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

sharply  bent  outwards,  and   is   covered  with  short  hairs  on  its  outer  face. 
It  is  especially  suggestive  of  the  base  of  an  ear-conch ;  and  if  this  appear- 


SKIN   OF   GRYPOTHERIUM,    OUTER   VIEW.      ^  nat.  size. 

ance  be  not  deceptive,  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  dried  skin  hereabouts 
and  in  the  region  which  would  have  to  be  interpreted  as  cheek  (C)  is 
much  more  wrinkled  than  elsewhere. 

As  already  mentioned,  the  outer  aspect  of  the  skin  is  completely 
covered  with  hair,  which  is  very  dense  everywhere  except  on  the  left 
anterior  corner.  Here  it  seems  to  have  been  removed  by  abrasion.  A 
small  patch  of  hair  has  also  clearly  been  pulled  out  near  the  gap  in 
the  left  border  of  the  specimen ;  and  close  to  the  middle  (where  marked  D) 
there  is  a  small  hairless  depression  which  may  perhaps  be  interpreted  as  a 
wound  inflicted   and  healed   during  life.      The   hair   is   only  of  one    kind. 


APPENDIX  A 


307 


without  any  trace  of  under-fur,  and  it  is  still  very  firmly  implanted  in  the 
skin,  without  signs  of  decay.      Its  arrangement  seems  to  be  quite  regular, 


.SKIN  ui    cm  I'M  I  iihKii.  M,   iNM.K   \  1 1  A\ .     .|  nat.  sizc. 

there  being  no  tendency  towards  its  segregation  into  small  groups  or 
bundles.  It  is  of  a  uniform  dirty  yellowish  or  light  yellowish-brown 
colour,  and,  making  due  allowance  for  slight  ruffling  and  distortion  of  the 
specimen,  it  may  be  described  as  all  lying  in  one  direction,  vertically 
in  the  photograph,  except  at  the  two  upturnetl  anterior  corners  of 
the  specimen,  where  there  is  an  inclination  from  the  right  and  left 
respectively  towards  the  centre.  The  longest  hairs,  which  usually  measure 
from  0.05  m.  to  0.065  in.  in  Ien<4th,  are  observed  in  the  half  of  the 
specimen  in  front  of  (above)  the  letter  D.  Those  in  the  middle  ot 
the  extreme  anterior  (upper)   border  measure  from  0.03  m.  to  0.05  m.  in 


3o8         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

length,  those  at  the  hinder  (lower)  border  about  the  same  ;  while  some  of 
the  comparatively  small  and  delicate  hairs  on  the  supposed  cheek  are  not 
longer  than  o.oi  m.  The  hairs  are  stiff,  straight,  or  only  very  slightly 
wavy,  and  all  are  remarkably  tough.  Examined  under  the  microscope, 
their  cuticle  is  observed  to  be  quite  smooth,  while  the  much-elongated 
cells  of  the  cortex  are  readily  distinguishable.  Mr.  R.  H.  Burne  has 
kindly  made  some  transverse  sections,  which  prove  the  hairs  to  be 
almost  or  quite  cylindrical,  and  none  of  the  specimens  examined  present 
any  trace  of  a  medulla. 

The  dermal  ossicles  are  very  irregular  in  arrangement,  but  are  to  be 
observed  in  every  part  of  the  specimen,  even  in  the  comparatively  thin 
region  near  the  supposed  ear.  They  form  everywhere  a  very  compact 
armour,  and  some  of  them  are  quite  closely  pressed  together;  rarely, 
indeed,  there  is  a  shallow  groove  crossing  a  specimen,  possibly  indicating 
two  components  which  were  originally  separate.  As  shown  by  every  part 
of  the  cut  margin,  and  especially  well  in  a  small  section  prepared  by 
Prof.  Charles  Stewart,  they  are  all  confined  to  the  lower  half  of  the 
dermis,  never  encroaching  upon  the  upper  portion  in  which  the  hair  is 
implanted.  It  is  also  to  be  observed  that,  where  the  inner  surface  of 
the  skin  is  intact,  the  ossicles  are  completely  embedded  and  only  faintly 
visible  through  the  dry  tissue.  The  exposure  of  a  considerable  number 
of  them,  as  already  mentioned,  is  due  to  the  rupture  and  partial  abrasion 
of  this  surface.  No  tendency  to  arrangement  in  parallel  lines  or  bands 
can  be  detected  ;  and  large  and  small  ossicles  seem  to  be  indis- 
criminately mingled,  although  of  course  allowance  must  be  made,  in 
examining  sections  and  the  abraded  inner  view  of  the  skin,  for  differences 
in  the  plane  of  adjoining  sections  and  varying  degrees  of  exposure 
by  the  removal  of  the  soft  tissue.  The  largest  ossicles  are  oblong  in 
shape  when  viewed  from  within,  and  measure  approximately  0.015  m. 
by  0.0 10  m. ;  but  the  majority  are  much  smaller  than  these.  They  are 
very  variable  and  irregular  in  form  ;  but  their  inner  face  is  generally 
convex,  sometimes  almost  pyramidal,  while  the  outer  face  of  the  few 
which  have  been  examined  is  slightly  convex,  more  or  less  flattened, 
without  any  trace  of  regular  markings. 

In  microscopical  structure  the  dermal  ossicles  are  of  much  interest, 
and  I  have  examined  both  horizontal  and  vertical  sections,  one  of  the 
former  kindly  prepared  by  Prof  Charles  Stewart.  The  tissue  is  traversed 
in  all  directions  by  a  dense  mass  of  interlacing  bundles  of  connective- 
tissue  fibres,  which  exhibit  an  entirely  irregular  disposition,  except  quite 
at  the  periphery  of  the  ossicle.  Here  they  are  less  dense,  and  are 
arranged  in  such  a  manner  as  to  form  at  least  one  darkened  zone 
concentric  with  the  margin  in  the  comparatively  translucent  border. 
Occasionally,    but    not    at    all    point--,    the    fibres   in    this  peripheral    area 


APPENDIX  A  309 

may  be  observed  to  radiate  regularly  outwards.  Numerous  small  vascular 
canals,  frequently  branching,  are  cut  in  various  directions  ;  and  the 
bony  tissue,  which  is  developed  in  every  part  of  the  ossicle,  exhibits 
abundant  lacun^u.  Nearly  everywhere,  except  in  the  narrow  peri- 
pheral area  just  mentioned,  it  is  easy  to  recognise  the  bony  laminae 
arranged  in  Haversian  systems  round  the  canals  ;  and  most  of  the  lacuna? 
between  these  lamina?  are  excessively  elongated,  with  very  numerous 
branching  canaliculi,  which  extend  at  right  angles  to  their  longer  axis. 
Near  the  margin  of  the  ossicle,  especially  in  its  more  translucent  parts,  the 
bone-lacunae  are  less  elongated,  more  irregular  in  shape,  and  apparently 
not  arranged  in  any  definite  order.  There  is  no  clear  evidence  of 
bony  laminae  concentric  with  the  outer  margin,  though  appearances 
are  sometimes  suggestive  of  this  arrangement.  A  vertical  section  of  an 
ossicle  presents  exactly  the  same  features  as  the  horizontal  section  now 
described.  It  is  thus  evident  that  the  vascular  canals  with  their  Haversian 
systems  of  bone  have  no  definite  direction,  but  are  disposed  in  an 
entirely  irregular  manner. 

Taking  into  consideration  all  characters,  and  making  comparisons 
with  the  aid  of  my  friend  Mr.  W.  E.  de  Winton,  I  am  inclined  to  regard 
the  fragmentary  specimen  as  the  skin  of  the  neck  and  shoulder-region 
with  part  of  the  left  clieek.  The  apparent  bilateral  symmetry  between  at 
least  part  of  the  thickened  anterior  outer  angles  of  the  specimen  has 
already  been  noted  ;  and  if  this  observation  be  well  founded,  the  middle  line 
of  the  back  extends  vertically  down  the  middle  of  the  photograph,  p.  306. 
If  the  rounded  notch  above  B  be  the  base  of  the  external  ear,  as  seems 
probable,  the  thick  wrinkled  skin  (C)  with  fine  short  hair  still  further  to 
the  left  must  be  the  cheek.  The  ear  and  cheek  on  the  right  side  have 
been  removed  ;  but  at  the  base  of  the  outwardly-turned  angle  on  this  side 
of  the  specimen  there  are  the  very  long  hairs  which  occupy  a  similar 
position  on  the  left.  It  thus  seems  possible  to  estimate  the  transverse 
measurement  between  the  cars  as  from  0.25  m.  to  0.30  m.,  which  corre- 
sponds with  a  tentative  estimate  of  the  same  distance  in  Mylodon  robiistiis 
based  on  a  skull  in  the  British  Museum. 


(b)    Coiuparisoiis  and  Gcticral  Conclusions. 

The  skin  now  described  differs  from  that  of  all  known  terrestrial 
Mammalia,  except  certain  Edentata,  in  the  presence  of  a  bon\'  dermal 
armour.  There  can  therefore  be  little  doubt  that  the  specimen  has  been 
rightly  referred  to  a  member  of  this  typically  South  .\merican  order. 
Even  among  the  ICdentates,  however,  the  hagment  uow  under  considera- 
tion is  unique  in  one  respect  ;   for  all  the  ossicles  are  buried  deeply  in  the 


3IO         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

lower  half  of  the  thickened  dermis  and  the   hairs   are   implanted   in   every 
part  of  its   upper  half,   whereas   all   the   forms   of  bony  armour  hitherto 
described   in    this   order   reach   the   outer   surface   of  the   dermis   and   are 
merely  invested  with  horny  epidermis.      This  is  the  case,  as  is  well  known, 
in  the  common  existing  Armadillos,  in  which  the   hair   is   only  implanted 
in   the  dermis   between   the  separate  parts  of  the   armour.      Even   in   the 
unique    and    remarkable   skin    of    an    Armadillo    from    Northern    Brazil, 
described   by   Milne-lidwards   under   the    name   of  Scleropleura   bnmcti,^ 
the  bony  plates  and  tubercles  are  still  covered  only  by  epidermis,  although 
most  of  them   are  reduced   to  small   nodules   and   might   well   have  sunk 
more  deeply   into   the  abnormally   hairy   skin.      There   is   also   reason  to 
believe  that  in  the  gigantic  extinct  Armadillos  of  the  family  Glyptodontidse 
the  same  arrangement  of  dermal   structures   prevailed  ;   for  one   specimen 
of  PanocJitJiiis    tuberculatus  obtained    by    Dr.    Moreno   for    the    La    Plata 
Museum  actually  shows  the  dried  horny  epidermis   in  direct   contact  with 
the  underlying  bone,  and  seems  to  prove  that   the   numerous   perforations 
in  the  Glyptodont  dermal  armour  were   not  for   the   implantation  of  hairs 
(as  once  supposed),  but  for  the  passage  of  blood-vessels  to  the  base  of  the 
epidermal    layer.      Similarly,    among    the    extinct   Ground-Sloths   of   the 
family  Mylodontidac  dermal  ossicles   have  been  found  with  the  remains  of 
Ccdodon^   and   various   forms   (perhaps   different  subgenera)  of  il/;'^^'/^;/ / 
but  the  only  examples  of  this  armour  yet  definitely  described  t  exhibit  a 
conspicuously  sculptured  outer  flattened  face,  and  it  thus  seems  clear  that 
Burmeister  was  correct  in  describing  them  as  originally  reaching  the  upper 
surface  of  the  dermis  and  only  covered  externally  by  a  thickened  epidermis. 
It   is,    however,  to   be   noted   that   Burmeister    himself    actually   observed 
armour  of  this   kind  covering  only  the   lumbar  region  of  the   trunk.      He 
believed  that  the  other  parts  of  the  animal  were  similarly  armoured,  because 
he  had  found  "  the  same  ossicles"  on  the  digits  of  the  manus,  where  they 
were  "generally  smaller  and  more  spherical  "  ;   but  he  unfortunately  omits 
to   make   any   explicit   statement   as    to    the    presence   or  absence   of  the 
characteristic  external  ornamentation  on  the  latter. 

llie  omission  just  mentioned  is  especially  unfortunate,  because  on 
careful  comparison  it  is  evident  that  the  irregular  disposition  of  the  small 
ossicles  in  the  piece  of  skin  now  under  consideration  is  most  closely 
paralleled  in  the  dermal  armour  of  the  extinct  Mylodon,  as  already 
observed  by  Drs.  Moreno  and  Ameghino.  There  is  obviously  no  approach 
in    this    specimen    to   the   definite   and    symmetrical    arrangement    of  the 

*  A.  Milne-Edwards,  "  Note  sur  une  noinclle  Espccc  do  Tatou  a  cuirasse  iiicuin- 
plfete  {Scleropleura  bruncii),"  Nouv.  Arch.Mus.  vol.  vii.  (1871),  pp.  177-179,  pi.  xii. 

f  P.  W.  Lund,  K.  Dansk.  Vidensk.  Selsk.  Afhandl.  vol.  viii.  (1841),  p.  85  (footnote). 

J  H.  Burmeister,  Anales  Mus.  Publico  Buenos  Aires,  vol.  i.  (1864-69),  p.  173,  pi.  v. 
Fig.  8. 


APPENDIX  A  311 

armour  sucli  as  is  exhibited  both  by  the  existing  Armadillos  and  the 
extinct  Glyptodonts.  There  are,  then,  two  possibilities.  Either  the 
dermal  armour  oi  Mylodon  varied  in  different  parts  of  the  body,  being 
sculptured  and  covered  only  by  epidermis  in  the  lumbar  region,  while 
less  developed,  not  sculptured  but  completely  buried  in  the  dermis  in  the 
comparatively  flexible  neck  and  shoulder  region — in  whicli  case  Dr.  Moreno 
may  be  correct  in  referring  the  problematical  specimen  to  Mylodon  ;  or 
the  dermal  ossicles  of  this  extinct  genus  may  have  been  uniform  through- 
out, only  differing  in  size  and  sparseness  or  compactness — in  which  case 
Dr.  Ameghino  is  justified  in  proposing  to  recognise  a  distinct  genus, 
Neoinylodon. 

To  decide  between  these  two  possibilities,  it  is  necessary  to  wait  for 
additional  information  concerning  the  anterior  dorsal  armour  of  Mylodon 
as  precise  as  that  published  by  Burmeister  in  reference  to  the  lumbar 
shield.  Meanwhile  it  must  suffice  to  compare  the  microscopical  structure 
of  the  ossicles  from  the  new  skin  with  that  of  the  small  sculptured  tubercles 
of  undoubted  Mylodon.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  specimen  has 
been  buried  in  the  Pampa  Formation  for  a  long  period,  and  that  the 
oxides  of  iron  and  manganese  have  infiltrated  the  margin  of  the  bone, 
rendering  the  structure  of  its  outer  border  more  conspicuous  than  that  of 
its  central  portion.  It  must  also  be  noted  that  some  of  the  manganese 
has  assumed  its  familiar  *'  dendritic  "  aspect,  in  this  respect  presenting 
appearances  not  due  to  original  structure.  The  calcified  interlacing  fibres 
of  connective  tissue  are  as  abundant  here  as  in  the  ossicle  of  the  so-called 
Neoniylodon ;  but  in  a  very  wide  peripheral  area  they  exhibit  a  marked 
radial  di.-p^sition,  neariy  every wiicc  extending  in  bundles  at  right  angles 
to  the  border.  Rather  large  vascular  canals,  infiltrated  with  the  oxides 
of  iron  and  manganese,  are  observed  in  places,  often  bifurcated  and  usually 
bordered  by  a  transparent  zone  free  from  the  connective-ti.-sue  fibres. 
Well-developed  bone-lacunte  are  very  abundant,  many  exhibiting  short 
branching  canaliculi,  and  most  of  the  others  very  irregular  in  shape, 
evidently  furnished  with  canaliculi  which  cannot  be  seen  from  lack  of 
infiltration.  The  lacunae  are  never  much  elongated,  and  are  not  arranged 
in  distinctly  differentiated  Haversian  systems  in  any  jjart  of  the  section  ; 
while  the  only  regular  disposition  of  the  bony  laminae  is  traceable  near 
the  circumference,  where  the  lacunae  are  frequently  arranged  or  clustered 
in  parallel  zones  concentric  with  the  bordei.  A  vertical  >ection  of  one 
of  the  same  specimens  shows  the  connective-tissue  fibres  radiating  out- 
wards towards  the  lateral  margins,  but  not  directly  towards  the  upper 
sculptured  face.  There  are  no  bony  laminio  clearly  parallel  with  the 
latter  face,  and  at  least  one  vascular  canal  in  tran>verse  section  se«Mns  10 
be  the  centre  of  a  Haversian  system. 

The    histological    structure    of    the   ossicles    in    the    skin    now   under 


312         THROUGH  HIE   HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

consideration  thus  resembles  that  of  the  sculptured  tubercles  of  Mylodon 
in  all  essential  features,  but  differs  in  two  noteworthy  respects.  In  ihe 
ossicles  of  the  so-called  Neomylodojt,  as  already  described,  the  fibres  of 
connective  tissue  do  not  exhibit  much  definite  radiation  towards  the  lateral 
margin  ;  while  tlie  bony  tissue  at  most  points  is  disposed  in  definite 
Haversian  systems.  There  is  thus  enough  discrepancy  to  justify  the 
suspicion  that  the  new  and  tiie  old  specimens  do  not  belong  to  the  same 
animal.  In  fact,  so  far  as  the  differentiation  of  the  dermal  bone  is  con- 
cerned, the  so-called  Ncoviylodoii  is  precisely  intermediate  between  Mylodon 
and  the  existing  Armadillo  {Dasypus)  ;  sections  of  the  scutes  of  the  latter 
animal,  both  in  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons  and  in  the  British  Museum, 
showing  that  in  this  genus  nearly  the  whole  of  the  osseous  tissue  is 
arranged  in  Haversian  systems,  although  abundant  interlacing  connective- 
tissue  fibres  are  still  entangled  in  it,  at  least  near  tlie  border 

If  the  characteristic  dermal  armature  does  not  suffice  for  the  definite 
expression  of  an  opinion  as  to  the  precise  affinities  of  the  specimen,  a  still 
less  satisfactor\-  result  can  be  expected  from  a  comparison  of  the  hair. 
For,  in  the  first  place,  no  hair  has  hitherto  been  discovered  in  association 
with  the  skeleton  of  any  extinct  Ground-Sloth  ;  while,  secondly,  the  hairy 
covering  of  a  mammal  is  perhaps  that  part  of  its  organisation  most  readily 
adapted  to  the  immediate  circumstances  of  its  life.  So  far  as  their  endo- 
skeleton  is  concerned,  the  extinct  Mylodonts  and  their  allies  arc  precisely 
intermediate  between  the  existing  Sloths  and  Anteaters  ;  they  combine 
"  the  head  and  dentition  of  the  former  with  the  structure  of  the  vertebral 
column,  limbs,  and  tail  of  the  latter."  *  It  might  therefore  be  supposed 
that  the  hair  of  this  extinct  group  would  exhibit  some  of  the  peculiarities 
of  that  in  one  or  other  of  its  nearest  surviving  relatives.  The  epidermal 
covering  of  the  piece  of  skin  now  described,  however,  entirely  lacks  the 
under-fur  which  is  so  thick  in  the  Sloths  ;  while  the  structure  of  each 
individual  hair,  with  its  smooth  cuticle  and  lack  of  a  medulla,  is  strikingly 
different  from  that  observed  both  in  the  Sloths  and  Anteaters,  and  identical 
with  that  of  the  hair  in  the  surviving  Armadillos.  The  large  hair  in  the 
Sloths  and  Tainmidua  exhibits  a  conspicuously  scaly  cuticle  ;  while  that 
of  Myniiccophaga  is  remarkable  for  its  very  large  medulla.  All  these 
animals  now  live  in  the  tropics,  either  in  forests  or  swamps,  whereas  the 
Patagonian  animal  must  have  existed  under  circumstances  much  like 
those  under  which  the  Armadillos  still  survive.  Hence  the  characters 
of  the  hair  of  the  so-called  Neoniylodon  may  be  of  no  great  importance  in 
determining  the  affinities  of  the  animal,  but  may  represent  a  special 
adaptation  to  its  immediate  environment. 

Finally,  there  is  the  question  of  the  antiquity  of  the  problematical 
skin.     On  two  occasions  I  have  examined  the  mummified   remains  of  the 

'■'•  Flower  and  Lydekker,  "  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Mammals,"  p.  183. 


APPENDIX  A  313 

extinct  Mammoth  and  Rhinoceros  from  Siberia  in  the  Imperial  Academy 
of  Sciences  at  St.  Petersburg  ;  I  have  also  carefully  studied  the  remains 
of  the  neck  and  legs  of  the  Moa  from  a  cavern  in  New  Zealand,  now  in 
the  British  Museum.  Compared  with  these  shrivelled  and  dried  specimens, 
the  piece  of  skin  from  Patagonia  has  a  remarkably  fresh  and  modern 
aspect.  ;  and  I  should  unhesitatingly  express  the  opinion  that  it  belonged 
to  an  animal  killed  shortly  before  Dr.  Moreno  recognised  its  interest,  had 
he  not  been  able  to  give  so  circumstantial  an  account  of  its  discovery  and 
strengthened  his  point  of  view  by  recording  the  occurrence  of  a  human 
mummy  of  an  extinct  race  in  another  cavern  in  the  same  district.  The 
presence  of  an  abundant  covering  of  dried  serum  on  one  cut  border  of  the 
skin  is  alone  suggestive  of  grave  doubts  as  to  the  antiquity  of  the  speci- 
men ;  but  Dr.  Vaughan  Harley  tells  me  that  similar  dried  serum  has 
been  observed  several  times  among  the  remains  of  the  Egyptian  mummies, 
and  there  seems  thus  to  be  no  limit  to  the  length  of  time  for  which  it  can 
be  preserved,  provided  it  is  removed  from  all  contact  with  moisture.  I 
may  add  that  I  have  searched  in  vain  in  the  writings  of  Ramon  Lista 
(so  far  as  they  are  represented  in  the  Library  of  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society)  for  some  reference  to  the  statement  which  the  late  traveller  made 
verbally  to  Dr.  Ameghino ;  and  as  the  piece  of  skin  now  described 
certainly  represents  an  animal  almost  gigantic  in  size  compared  with  the 
Old-World  Pangolin,  I  fear  it  cannot  be  claimed  to  belong  to  Lista's 
problematical  quadruped,  whatever  that  may  prove  to  be. 

The  final  result  of  these  brief  considerations  is  therefore  rather  dis- 
appointing. There  are  difficulties  in  either  of  the  two  possible  hypotheses. 
We  have  a  piece  of  skin  quite  large  enough  to  have  belonged  to  the 
extinct  Mylodon  ;  but  unfortunately  it  cannot  be  directly  compared  with 
the  dermal  armour  of  that  genus,  because  it  seems  to  belong  to  the  neck- 
region,  while  the  only  dermal  tubercles  of  a  Mylodont  hitherto  definitely 
made  known  are  referable  to  the  lumbar  region.  If  it  does  belong  to 
Mylodon,  as  Dr.  Moreno  maintains,  it  imijlies  either  that  this  genus 
survived  in  Patagonia  to  a  comparatively  recent  date,  or  that  the  circum- 
stances of  preservation  were  unique  in  the  cavern  where  the  specimen  was 
discovered.  On  the  other  hand,  if  it  belongs  to  a  distinct  and  existing 
genus,  as  Dr.  Ameghino  maintains — and  as  most  of  the  characters  of  the 
specimen  itself  would  at  first  sight  suggest — it  is  indeed  strange  that  so 
large  and  remarkable  a  cjuadruped  should  have  hitherto  escaped  detection 
in  a  country  which  has  been  so  frequently  visited  by  scientific  explorers. 

[P.S. — At  the  reading  of  this  paper  I'rof  Kay  Lankester  remarked 
that  he  should  regard  the  characters  of  the  hair  as  specially  important, 
and  would  not  be  surprised  if  the  problematical  piece  of  skin  proved  to 
belong  to  an  unknown  type  of  Armadillo.      This  po.ssibility  had  occurred 


314         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

to  me,  but  I  had  hesitated  to  mention  it  on  account  of  the  considerable 
discrepancy  observable  between  the  arrangement  of  the  bony  armour  in 
Ncouiylodoi  and  that  in  the  known  Glyptodonts  and  the  unique  Brazilian 
Armadillo  {Scleroplcjira),  which  happen  to  exhibit  an  incompletely 
developed  (incipient  or  vestigial)  shield.  In  each  of  the  latter  cases,  the 
armour  is  not  subdivided  into  a  compact  mass  of  irregular  ossicles,  but 
consists  of  well-separated  elements  which  could  only  become  continuous 
by  the  addition  of  a  considerable  extent  of  bone  round  their  margins,  or 
by  the  special  development  of  smaller  intervening  ossicles. 

Since  the  paper  was  read,  I   have  had   the   privilege   of  studying  Dr. 
Einar  Lonnberg's  valuable  description   of  the  pieces  of  the  problematical 
skin  mentioned  by  Dr.  Moreno  as  having  been  taken  to  Upsala  by   Dr. 
Otto    Nordenskj()ld.*       It    appears    that    with    the    skin    was    found   the 
epidermal  sheath  of  a  large  unknown  claw,  which  may  have  belonged  to 
the  same  animal.       This  specimen  proves  to  be  different  from  that  of  any 
existing  Sloth,  Anteater,  or  Armadillo,  and  is  considered  by  Dr.  Lonnberg 
to  belong  probably  to  the  hind   foot  of  a  Mylodont,  which  did  not  walk 
on  the  exterior,  lateral  surfaces  of  the  toes  to  the  same  extent  as  Mylodon. 
In  a  section  of  the  skin  provisionally  ascribed  to  the  leg,  he  observes  that 
the  small  ossicles  are  very  irregular,  and  shows  two  instances  in  which  two 
are  placed  one  above  the  other.      In  microscopical  sections  of  the  ossicles, 
however,  he  does  not  find  the  distinct  Haversian  systems  of  bone  so  con- 
spicuous   in    my    slides  ;   and    hence   he    fails   to   remark   the    differences 
between  the  structure  of  the  armour   in   Neomylodon   and  Mylodon,  which 
seem    to   me    to    be    particularly    noteworthy.      His    so-called    "  pigment 
cellules  "  in  Mylodon  are  the  dendritic  infiltrations  of  oxide  of  manganese 
and  stains  of  oxide  of  iron,  to  which  I  have  made  special  reference.      His 
observations  as  to  the  absence  of  a  medulla  in  the  hair  confirm  my  own  ; 
but  I  have  not  seen   any  evidence  of  the  suspected  loss  or  disintegration 
of  the  hair-cuticle.      Finally,  Dr.  Lonnberg  has  boiled  a  piece  of  the  skin, 
thereby  extracting  glue,  "  which  proves   that  the  collagen  and   gelatinous 
substances  are  perfectly  preserved."       The  latter  observation  confirms  the 
evidence  of  the  serum  recorded  above,  and  indicates  that  if  the  specimen 
is  "  of  any  considerable  age,  it  must  have  been  very  well  protected  against 
moisture  and  bacteria." — A.  S.  W.] 

*  E.  Lonnberg,  "On  some  Remains  of  'Neomylodon  listai,'  Ameghino.  brought  home 
by  the  Swedish  Expedition  to  Tierra  del  Fuego,  1895-1897,"  Wissensch.  Ergebn. 
schwedisch.  Exped.  Magcllansliind.  iinter  Leitung  v.  Otto  Nordenskjold,  vol.  ii. 
pp.  149-170,  pis.  xii.-xiv.  (iSgg). 


APPENDIX  A  315 

III.  Description  of  Additional  Discoveries. 
By  A.  Smith  Woodward* 

Last  February,  when  presenting  to  the  Zoological  Society  an  account 
of  the  skin  of  a  Ground-Sloth  discovered  in  a  cavern  in  Southern 
Patagonia,  Dr.  Moreno  mentioned  that  further  excavations  were  being 
made  in  the  hope  of  finding  other  remains  of  the  same  animal.  The 
task  referred  to  was  undertaken  by  Dr.  Rudolph  Hauthal.  geologist  of  the 
La  Plata  Museum,  who  met  with  complete  success. f  He  not  only  found 
another  piece  of  skin,  but  also  various  broken  bones  of  more  than  one 
individual  of  a  large  species  of  Ground-Sloth  in  a  remarkably  fresh  state 
of  preservation.  ^Moreover,  he  discovered  teeth  of  an  extinct  horse  and 
portions  of  limb-bones  of  a  large  feline  carnivore,  in  association  with 
these  remains  ;  he  likewise  met  with  traces  of  fire,  which  clearly  occurred 
in  the  same  deposits  as  the  so-called  Neontylodon.  All  these  remains 
were  found  beneath  the  dry  earth  on  the  floor  of  an  enormous  chamber 
which  seemed  to  have  been  artificially  enclosed  by  rude  walls.  In  one 
spot  they  were  scattered  through  a  thick  deposit  of  excrement  of  some 
gigantic  herbivore,  evidently  the  Ground-Sloth  itself;  in  another  spot 
they  were  associated  with  an  extensive  accumulation  of  cut  ha)'.  Dr. 
Hauthal  and  his  colleagues,  indeed,  concluded  that  the  cavern  was  an 
old  corral  in  w^iich  the  Ground-Sloths  had  been  kept  and  fed  by  man. 

As  the  result  of  these  explorations.  Dr.  Moreno  has  now  the  gratifica- 
tion of  exhibiting  to  the  Society  complete  proof  that  the  piece  of  skin 
described  on  the  former  occasion  belongs  to  a  genuine  Pampean  Ground- 
Sloth,  not  Mylodon  itself,  but  a  very  closely  related  genus  Grypotlwriinn, 
of  which  skulls  are  already  known  from  Pampean  deposits  in  the  Province 
of  Buenos  Aires.i  The  collection  which  we  now  have  the  privilege  of 
examining  distinctly  supports  his  contention  that  the  large  quadruped  m 
question   belongs   to   an    extinct   fauna,  though  contemporary   with   man. 

-  "  On  some  Remains  of  Grypotherium  (Neomylothm)  listai  and  associated  Mammals 
from  a  Cavern  near  Consuelo  Cove,  Last  Hope  Inlet,  Pataf,'onia."  Proc.  ZooL  Soc., 
1900,  pp.  64-79,  pis.  v.-i,x. 

f  K.  Hauthal,  S.  Roth,  and  R.  Lchmann-Nitsche,  "  El  Mamifero  Misterioso  do  la 
Patagonia,  Grypotherium  donicsticum,"  Revista  Mus.  La  I'lata,  vol.  i.\.  pp.  409-474, 
pis.  i.-v.  ( 1899).— F.  P.  Moreno,  "  Note  on  the  Discovery  of  MioUiuui  and  of  Glossotlnnum 
{N  CO  my  I  odd  It)  in  Patagonia,"  Geo!.  Mag.  [4]  vol.  vi.  pp.  3f>5-j8S  (^1899). 

+  J.  Reinhardt,  "  Beskrivelse  af  Hovcdskallcn  af  ct  KiL-mpcdovondyr.  Gr)/>(.//i<'riM»i 
daru'inii,  fra  La  Plata-Landenes  plejstoceno- Daimelscr,"  K.  Daiisk.  Vidensk.  Silsk. 
Skr.  [5]  vol.  xii.  ^1879),  pp.  353-380,  pis.  i.  ii.— H.  Hurmeistcr,  "Atlas  de  la  Description 
phvsique  de  la  Rcpnljlicpie  Argentine,"  sect.  ii.  (1881),  p.  1 19.  woodc.  {MylodomUtrwiHu).— 
R.  Lydekker,  "The  Extinct  Edentates  of  Argentina,"  Anales  Mus.  La  Plata— I'alcont. 
Argentina,  vol.  iii.  pt.  2  (1894),  p.  85,  pi.  Hv. 


3i6         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

The  discovery  is  thus  unique  in  the  history  of  palaeontology,  on  account 
of  the  remarkably  fresh  state  of  preservation  of  all  the  remains.  Some  of 
the  new  specimens  exhibit  no  indication  whatever  of  having  been  buried. 
Many  of  the  bones  retain  their  original  whitish  colour,  apparently  without 
any  loss  of  gelatine  ;  while  both  these  and  other  bones,  which  have 
evident!}'  been  entombed  in  brownish  dust,  bear  numerous  remnants 
not  only  of  the  dried  periosteum,  but  also  of  shrivelled  muscles,  ligaments, 
and  cartilages.  Very  few  of  the  bones  are  fossilised,  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  term. 

An  admirable  brief  description  of  this  collection  has  already  been  pub- 
lished {o/>.  at.)  by  Dr.  Roth,  who  was  the  first  to  recognise  the  generic 
identity  of  Neoi)iylodo7i  with  GrypotJierinvi.  Some  of  the  specimens,  how- 
ever, are  worthy  of  a  more  detailed  examination  ;  and  D*".  Moreno 
has  kindly  entrusted  them  to  me  for  study  in  connection  with  the 
collections  in  the  British  Museum  and  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons. 
The  following  notes,  supplementing  Dr.  Roth's  original  memoir,  are 
the  result   of  this  further  investigation. 


I.  Remains  of  Grvpotherium  listai. 

NuDiber  of  Lidividuals. 

Among  the  fragmentary  bones  of  the  Ground-Sloth,  it  is  easy  to 
recognise  evidence  of  three  individuals,  which  do  not  differ  much  in  size. 
There  arc  three  distinct  examples  of  the  occiput  and  fragments  of  the 
dentigerous  portion  of  three  mandibles.  It  is  also  noteworthy  that  the 
three  malar  bones  preserved  are  all  different  in  shape,  while  three 
corresponding  fragments  of  the  acromial  process  of  the  scapula  differ  in 
size.  One  portion  of  maxilla  seems  to  represent  a  fourth  individual, 
being  probably  too  small  for  either  of  the  skulls  to  which  the  occiputs 
belong.  h'inally,  as  Dr.  Roth  has  pointed  out,  one  shaft  of  a  humerus, 
which  appears  to  be  the  bone  of  an  adult,  belongs  to  a  much  smaller 
animal  than  is  indicated  by  any  other  specimen  in  the  collection. 

Remains  of  three  individuals  are  thus  recognisable  with  certainty  ;  two 
others  can  probably  be  distinguished  ;  while  some  of  the  fragments  may 
even-  belong  to  a  sixth  specimen.  It  must  also  be  noted  that  other 
portions  of  jaws  are  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  E.  Nordenskjold.* 

'■••  K.  Hauthal,  op.  cit.  p.  4. 


APPENDIX  A  317 


Skull  and  Mandible. 

The  largest  portion  of  cranium  (No.  i)  is  not  stained  in  any  way,  and 
does  not  retain  a  trace  of  the  material  in  which  it  was  buried  in  any 
hollow  or  crevice.  It  does  not  appear  to  have  been  damaged  during 
excavation,  but  exhibits  fractures  which  were  almost  certainly  made  when 
the  animal  was  freshly  killed.  The  cranial  roof  near  the  occipital  region 
is  battered  in  four  places,  though  the  injuries  do  not  affect  the  brain- 
case  itself;  while  the  right  occipital  condyle  is  partly  removed  by  a  sharp, 
clean  cut.  There  can,  indeed,  be  no  doubt  that  the  animal  was  killed 
and  cut  to  pieces  by  man. 

This  skull  is  evidently  that  of  an  adult  animal,  all  the  sutures  in  the 
hinder  region  being  closed.  The  inner  wall  of  the  temporal  fossa  is  much 
flattened,  without  any  irregular  convexities,  but  marked  with  the  charac- 
teristic reticulately-decussating,  fine  ridges  of  bone,  and  studded  with 
adherent  patches  of  muscle-fibre.  The  upper  border  of  the  fossa  is  a 
remarkably  sharp  edge,  while  the  narrow  flattened  cranial  roof  is  only 
marked  by  a  faint  longitudinal  median  furrow  and  by  a  diminutive  tuft  of 
fibre  in  a  small  median  pit  near  the  occipital  edge."'  The  fractures 
exhibit  the  very  large  cancellated  chambers  surrounding  the  brain -case 
dorso-laterally  ;  while  a  median  longitudinal  section  shows  both  these 
cells  and  others  in  the  basi-sphenoid.  The  basi-cranial  axis  is  nearly 
straight,  inclining  a  little  upwards  in  front.  The  anterior  condj'loid 
foramina  piercing  the  basi-occipital  are  remarkably  large,  as  usual  ;  the 
basi-sphenoid  is  very  long  and  narrow,  flattened  mesiall)'  on  its  lower  face, 
but  with  one  slight  median  prominence  near  its  hinder  end  ;  the  pre- 
sphenoid  forms  a  short  acute  rostrum,  above  which  there  are  remains 
of  the  vomer.  The  hinder  ends  of  the  pterygoids  are  shown  to  be 
inflated  with  large  cancellae,  but  the  sides  of  the  base  of  the  skull  are 
somewhat  obscured  by  the  dried  soft  parts.  The  mastoid  process  of  the 
periotic,  with  its  articular  facette  for  the  stylohyal,  seems  to  be  rather 
smaller  than  in  Mylodon.  The  tympanic  bone  is  preserved  on  the  right 
side,  though  wanting  on  the  left.  It  is  an  irregular  curved  plate  only 
slightly  bullatc,  but  forming  a  complete  floor  to  the  tympanic  cavity. 
As  usual  in  l^dentata,  it  is  not  produced  into  an  auditory  meatus. 

The  right  maxilla  (No.  4)  is  in  precisely  the  same  state  of  preservation 
as  the  specimen  just  described,  and  probably  belongs  to  the  same  skull. 
Its  anterior  margin  is  perfectly  preserved,  indicating  that  the  facial 
region  is  very  short  in  front  of  the  anterior  end  of  the  zygomatic 
arch,  which  is  pierced  by  a  rather  large  suborbital  canal.  Its  upper 
border  proves  that    the   nasal    region    was    raised    into    a    slightly  convex 

'■••  See  S.  Roth.  op.  cit.  pi.  ii.  Fig.  i. 


3i8         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

dome  ;  while  its  antero-superior  angle  is  not  rounded  as  in  Mylodon,  but 
curves  upwards  and  forwards  and  ends  in  a  point  as  in  GrypotJicriiiiii.  At 
the  oral  border  there  are  the  shattered  bases  of  four  teeth. 

A  fragment  of  the  nasal  region  (No.  13)  may  also  have  belonged 
to  the  same  skull,  but  its  state  of  preservation  is  a  little  different  from  that 
of  the  two  specimens  just  described.  It  has  clear!}'  been  buried  in  a 
powdery  deposit,  which  has  stained  it  brown  ;  but  the  enveloping  dust 
must  have  been  extremely  dry,  for  fragments  of  cartilage  adhere  to  it, 
as  well  preserved  a^^  in  the  nasal  chamber  of  the  cranium  itself  (No.  i). 
It  also  bears  traces  of  the  integument. 

Judging  by  the  figures  of  the  skull  of  GrypotJierium  published  by 
Reinhardt  (Joe.  cit.),  this  specimen  seems  to  have  occupied  an  anterior 
position  \n  the  nasal  region.  It  is  thus  of  great  interest,  because  the 
three  known  skulls  of  GrypotJiermin  leave  the  precise  nature  of  the 
bony  arcade  separating  the  narial  openings  undecided.  According 
to  Reinhardt,  the  nasal  bones  terminate  as  in  Mylodon,  and  the  arcade 
is  an  element  interposed  between  them  and  the  premaxillae.  Accord- 
ing to  Burmeister,  the  nasals  themselves  extend  forwards  and  consti- 
tute the  greater  part,  if  not  the  whole,  of  the  problematical  bar.  The 
fragment  now  under  consideration  is  clearly  in  favour  of  the  latter  inter- 
pretation. Its  lower  thickened  end  is  a  massive  bone,  not  bilaterally 
symmetrical,  and  not  showing  any  trace  of  a  median  suture.  Its  inferior 
face  is  irregular  and  roughened,  and  can  scarcely  be  regarded  as  an 
articular  facette.  Its  upper  portion  consists  of  a  pair  of  bones  sepa- 
rated by  a  very  well-marked  median  longitudinal  suture.  These  are 
not  thickened  at  their  contracted  upper  end,  where  they  have  evidently 
been  broken,  and  are  not  quite  bilaterally  symmetrical.  They  doubtless 
fuse  at  their  lower  end  with  the  problematical  azygous  bone  already 
mentioned,  but  the  arrangement  is  obscured  by  the  enveloping  soft  parts. 
A  pair  of  bones,  which  may  be  regarded  as  nasals,  thus  extend  forwards 
in  a  narrow  arch  to  a  point  just  above  the  anterior  end  of  the  premaxillae  ; 
while  the  massive  bone  effecting  a  union  between  the  two  normal  pairs 
of  elements  is  probably  an  ossification  in  the  internasal  septum.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  there  is  an  incipient  trace  of  a  similar  forward 
production  of  the  nasals  in  the  genus  Scclidotheriuui ;  while  there  is 
sometimes  an  ossification  of  the  internasal  septum  in  MegatJieriuin.^ 

The  three  specimens  now  described,  when  placed  approximately  in 
their  natural  positions,  afford  a  very  satisfactory  idea  of  the  form  and 
proportions  of  the  skull  when  complete.  The  malar  bone  is  the  only 
important  part  to  be  added  ;  but  unfortunately  it  is  impossible  to  decide 
which  of  the  three  specimens  of  this  element  in  the  collection  belongs  to 

'■•■  R.    Lydekker,  Analcs   Mas.  La  Plata— Paleont.  Argentina,  vol.  iii.  pt.  2  (1894), 
p.  73,  pi.  xlv.  Fig.  I. 


APPENDIX  A  319 

the  individual  now  under  consideration.  As  already  mentioned,  these 
three  bones  are  all  different  in  the  shape  and  proportions  of  the  hinder 
bifurcated  end.  They  are  all  very  fresh  in  appearance,  but  have  been 
stained  reddish-brown  by  the  earth  in  which  they  must  have  been  buried. 
The  hinder  portion  of  the  second  skull  already  mentioned  fNo.  2) 
comprises  the  occiput  and  brain-case  as  far  forward  as  the  front  of  the 
cerebral  hemispheres.  It  is  much  battered  and  broken,  and  in  quite  as 
fresh  a  state  as  the  cranium  already  described,  with  a  considerable  invest- 
ment of  dried  soft  parts  on  its  base.  It  is  only  very  sli<^htly  smaller  than 
No.  I,  but  is  of  interest  as  exhibiting  some  of  the  sutures,  besides  a 
roundness  and  smoothness  indicative  of  immaturity.  The  supraoccipital 
is  shown  to  be  very  large  ;  a  small  median  point  of  it  enters  the  foramen 
magnum,  while  the  suture  separating  it  from  the  parietals  and  squamosals 
extends  along  the  rounded  lambdoidal  ridge.  The  horizontally  extended 
suture  between  the  squamosal  and  parietal  on  the  inner  wall  of  the 
temporal  fossa  is  seen  in  the  position  where  Owen  determined  it  to  occur 
in  Mylodon^  Both  tympanies  are  preserved,  but  they  are  more  obscured 
by  soft  parts  than  in  Xo.   i. 

To  this  cranium  probably  belongs  a  detached  portion  of  the  left  side 
of  the  facial  region  (Xo.  5),  in  a  similar  state  of  preservation  and 
slightly  smaller  than  the  maxilla  (No.  4).  The  suture  between  the 
frontal  and  the  maxilla  still  persists,  while  the  oral  border  is  preserved 
farther  forward  than  in  the  last-mentioned  specimen,  showing  a  fragment 
of  the  much-reduced  premaxilla  united  with  the  maxilla  by  a  jagge.l 
suture. 

The  third  imperfect  occiput  is  about  as  large  as  the  immature 
specimen  No.  2,  but  does  not  exhibit  any  features  worthy  of  special 
note. 

The  largest  and  most  important  portions  of  the  mandible  are  Nos.  9 
and  I  I,  which  evidently  belong  to  the  right  and  left  rami  of  one  and  the 
same  jaw.  They  are  much  broken  and  are  in  the  same  fresh  con- 
dition as  the  skulls,  with  traces  of  the  periosteum  and  even  considerable 
portions  of  the  soft  parts  of  the  gum.  The  right  ramus  is  preserved 
sufficiently  far  forwards  to  show  that  there  was  no  caniniform  tooth  in 
front  of  the  series  of  four  ordinary  molars.  Judging  by  the  e.vtent  of 
the  latter  series,  the  specimen  probably  belongs  to  ihe  same  individual  as 
the  skull  No.  i. 

Another  portion  of  a  mandibular  ramus  (No.  lo")  of  the  left  side  is 
slightly  smaller  than  the  last  and  may  well  have  belonged  to  the  immature 
individual  No.  2.  It  is  similarly  quite  fresh  in  ap[)earance,  and  bears 
the  shrivelled  remains  of  the   gum.      It    is    interesting   as   exhibiting   tlie 

■    K.  Owen, "  Description  of  the  Skeleton  of  an    l£.\tinct  Gif^antic  Sloth,  Myhhioit 
rohustus,  Owen  "  (1842),  p.  iS. 


320         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

two  posterior  molars  slightly  different  in  shape  from  those  of  the  former 
mandible.  In  this  specimen  the  longer  axis  of  the  third  molar  is  oblique, 
whereas  in  No.  9  it  is  coincident  with  the  axis  of  the  mandible  ;  while  in 
the  former  the  fourth  molar  is  not  so  long  in  proportion  to  its  width  as  in 
the  latter.  Such  slight  differences,  however,  cannot  be  regarded  in  the 
ICdentata  as  more  than  individual  variations. 


Brain-cavity  and  Cerebral  Nerves. 

By  the  kind  permission  of  Dr.  Moreno,  the  cranium  No.  1  has 
been  vertically  bisected  to  display  the  character  of  the  cranial  cavity 
and  the  nerve-foramina.  An  instructive  plaster-cast  of  the  cavity 
has  thus  been  made  by  Mr.  C.  Barlow,  the  Formatore  of  the  British 
Museum. 

The  olfactory  lobes  are  shown  to  have  been  well  developed,  pro- 
jecting a  little  in  front  of  the  cerebral  hemispheres.  These  hemi- 
spheres are  together  somewhat  longer  than  broad,  slightly  broader  behind 
than  in  front,  and  a  little  constricted  in  the  middle.  They  do  not  over- 
lap the  cerebellum,  which  is  relatively  large.  The  origins  of  the  nerves 
are  very  imperfectly  shown  in  the  cast  ;  only  their  exits  from  the  cranial 
cavity  are  clear.  The  most  interesting  are  the  optic  and  trigeminal  nerves, 
which  pass  out  of  the  cranial  cavity  at  first  by  a  common  exit,  which  is 
soon  subdivided  by  a  bony  partition  into  two  canals,  the  former  no  less 
than  0.08  m.,  the  latter  0.045  f"-  in  length.  The  fourth,  seventh,  eighth 
and  twelfth  nerves  are  also  recognisable  on  the  cast  ;  and  one  prominence 
of  plaster  has  filled  the  foramen  lacerum  posterius. 

Compared  with  the  brains  of  Mylodon  and  ScelidotJieriiDu,  so  far  as 
known  from  casts  of  the  cranial  cavity,*  that  of  Grypothcriiivi  is  observed 
to  be  more  elongated,  with  less  divergent  and  prominent  olfactory  lobes, 
less  constricted  cerebral  hemispheres,  and  a  larger  cerebellum.  In  the 
form  and  proportions  of  the  cerebrum  and  cerebellum,  it  similarly  differs 
from  Megatherium.^  The  cerebral  hemispheres  of  the  existing  Cholo'pus 
didactyliis  and  Bradypus  tridactylus'^_  are  more  tapering  forward,  and  their 
cerebellum  is  relatively  smaller  than  in  Grypotheriuni. 


'■■'■  P.  Gervais,  "  Memoirc  sur  les  Formes  Cerebrales  propres  au.x  Edentes  vivants  et 
fossiles,"  Noiiv.  Arch.  Miis.,  vol.  xv.  (1869),  p.  39,  pi.  iv.  Fis^s.  1,  2. 
i    P.  Gervais,  loc.  cit.  p.  39,  pi.  v. 
;   Ibid.  p.  38,  pi.  iv.  Figs.  3,  4. 


APPENDIX  A  321 


Auditor}'  Ossicles. 

The  auditory  ossicles  were  preserved  in  the  tympanic  cavities  of  both 
skulls,  Nos.  I  and  2,  being  retained  by  the  dried  soft  parts.  They  were 
detected  by  Prof.  Charles  Stewart,  who  kindly  extracted  them,  with  great 
skill,  from  both  sides  of  each  skull.  Comparing  these  ossicles  with  the  fine 
collection  in  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons,  they  prove  to  be  closely  similar 
to  those  of  all  the  existing  Sloths,  but  most  nearly  resembling  those  of 
ChokvpHS  didactylus.  The  malleus  is  bent  exactly  as  in  the  latter  species, 
and  is  of  similar  shape.  As  observed  by  IVof  Stewart,  it  is  remarkable 
in  articulating  with  the  incus  not  only  by  the  head,  but  also  by  a  diminutive 
lower  facet,  which  is  in  contact  with  a  small  facetted  process  on  the 
anterior  arm  of  the  incus.  A  feeble  indication  of  the  same  secondary 
articulation  is  also  observable  in  Cholapus ;  but  it  is  curiously  absent  in 
the  second  specimen  of  Grypot^ieriiivi.  The  two  divergent  arms  of  the 
incus  are  equal  in  length,  as  usual  in  the  Sloths.  The  stapes  is  only 
very  sh'ghtly  perforated  in  both  specimens;  while  a  small  circular  disc 
firmly  fixed  to  the  incus  represents  the  orbicular  bone  in  the  second  skull. 
The  auditory  ossicles  of  Grypot/icrium,  therefore,  are  ver)^  different  from 
those  of  Myrmecopluiga,  in  which  the  malleus  is  less  sharply  bent,  the 
incus  has  divergent  arms  of  unequal  length,  and  the  stapes  exhibits  a  large 
perforation.* 

VertebrcE  and  Limb-bones. 

Nearly  all  the  remains  of  vertebrae  and  limb-bones  are  in  the  same 
state  of  preservation  as  the  portions  of  skull  and  mandible  already 
described,  with  adherent  cartilage  and  traces  of  muscles  and  ligaments. 
With  some  of  the  ungual  phalanges  there  are  also  well-preserved  examples 
of  the  epidermal  sheath.  As  already  remarked  b\'  Roth,  the  edges  of 
one  sheath  probably  belonging  to  the  fourth  digit  of  the  manus,  are 
quite  sharp,  and  indicate  that  if  the  animal  walked  on  its  fore  feet  it 
resembled  Myrmecopluiga  in  the  peculiar  twist  of  the  manus. 

All  the  specimens  in  this  series  seem  to  have  been  accurately  deter- 
mined and  sufficiently  described  by  Roth.  It  is  ouIn-  necessary  to 
emphasise  the  fact  that  the  two  shafts  of  humerus  with  abraded,  not 
sharply  broken,  ends  have  a  much  more  fossilised  appearance  than  any 
other  specimen  in  the  collection,  and  are  deeply  stained  throughout  by 
ferruginous  matter.  The  small  shaft,  No.  2  2.  certainly  seems  to  hive 
belonged  to  an  adult  animal,  as  remarked  by  Roth,  ami  it  was  probably 
much  smaller  than  any  individual  indicated  by  the  other  remains. 

*  J.  Hyrtl,"  Vergleichcndanatomischc  Untcrsuchiingen  iiberdas  iiincre Gchororgan 
des  Menschen  und  der  Siiugethiere  "  (1845),  p.  135,  pi.  v.  I'ig.  6. 

X 


322         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


Ski/i  a7id  Hair. 

The  new  piece  of  skin,  which  is  stated  by  Hauthal  to  have  been 
found  in  the  deposit  of  excrement,  is  not  quite  so  well  preserved  as  the 
original  piece.  It  is  much  folded  in  an  irregular  manner  ;  and  the  hair, 
which  is  yellower  than  in  the  previous  specimen,  is  preserved  only  in 
patches  on  the  outer  face.  It  must  have  been  stripped  from  the  body  of 
the  animal  by  man  ;  but  the  only  distinct  marks  of  tools,  which  were 
evidently  made  when  the  skin  was  fresh,  are  a  few  indents  and  small  pits 
on  the  outer  face.  The  indents  must  have  been  made  by  oblique  thrusts 
of  a  stick,  or  a  small,  blunt,  chisel-shaped  instrument.  The  small  pittings 
are  nearer  the  middle  of  the  specimen  and  less  conspicuous.  A  vacuity 
in  the  skin  seems  to  be  due  to  accidental  tearing  or  to  a  thrust  after  it 
was  dry  :  it  may  even  have  been  caused  by  the  fallen  blocks  of  stone 
found  lying  upon  it. 

The  specimen,  as  preserved,  measures  about  a  metre  across  in  one 
direction  by  93  centimetres  in  another  direction.  As  already  observed 
by  Roth,  its  irregular  folding  makes  the  determination  of  its  position  on 
the  trunk  very  difficult ;  but  I  am  convinced  that  its  state  of  preservation 
is  not  sufficiently  good  to  justify  an  attempt  to  unfold  the  skin  by  the 
ordinary  method  of  steaming.  Taking  all  facts  into  consideration.  Roth 
seems  to  be  correct  in  ascribing  it  to  the  right  flank  and  the  postero- 
superior  part  of  one  of  the  limbs.  It  most  probably  belongs  to  the  fore 
limb,  as  Roth  supposes  ;  but  there  is  no  clear  proof  that  it  is  not  referable 
to  the   hind-quarters. 

The  original  situation  of  the  piece  of  skin  being  thus  determined,  it  is 
interesting  to  observe  the  disposition  of  the  ossicles  in  the  lower  layer. 
Owing  to  abrasion,  contraction,  and  partial  disintegration,  they  are  con- 
spicuous in  most  parts  of  the  specimen.  They  are  very  irregular  in  shape 
and  size,  and  closely  compacted  together,  as  in  the  previous  specimen. 
It  is,  however,  to  be  noted  that  in  some  parts  there  is  a  distinct  tendency 
to  arrangement  in  regular,  straight,  parallel  rows.  The  long  axes  of  the 
elongated  ossicles  are  nearly  always  coincident  with  the  direction  of  these 
rows.  They  are  especially  well  shown  on  the  middle  of  the  flank  ;  and, 
as  might  be  expected,  the  rows  are  here  disposed  vertically,  parallel  with 
the  ribs. 

In  some  parts  of  the  skin  the  ossicles  are  exposed  on  their  outer  face ; 
but  appearances  render  it  almost  certain  that  this  exposure  is  due  to  the 
disintegration  and  abrasion  of  the  specimen.  In  one  patch  thus  uncovered 
by  the  removal  of  the  soft  parts,  the  ossicles  are  seen  to  form  a  closely 
arranged,  flattened  pavement ;  and  their  outer  face  is  much  more  con- 
spicuously marked  by  pittings  than  that  of  any  ossicle  extracted  from  the 


APPENDIX  A  323 

first  discovered  piece  of  skin.  In  fact,  as  Roth  remarks,  the  pitting  is 
here  quite  similar  to  that  observable  on  many  ossicles  dug  up  in  associa- 
tion with  the  fossil  skeletons  of  Mylodon ;  though  it  does  not  form  so 
regular  a  reticulate  pattern  as  that  of  the  dermal  ossicles  of  Mylodon 
in  the  British  Museum  figured  on  the  former  occasion.* 

Another  interesting  feature  of  the  new  piece  of  skin  consists  in  the 
dwindling  and  even  total  absence  of  the  ossicles  towards  the  ventral 
border.  A  section  along  the  edge  exhibits  only  two  diminutive  nodules 
of  bone  in  a  length  of  o.  i  m.  ;  while  another  similar  section  taken 
vertically  from  the  skin  of  the  limb  shows  no  trace  of  ossicles,  except 
perhaps  two  little  specks.  It  must,  however,  be  noted  that  the  limb 
was  not  entirely  destitute  of  armour  ;  for  on  the  border  the  bones  are  as 
well  developed  and  conspicuous  as  on  the  middle  of  the  flank.  In  the 
newly-cut  sections  the  skin  has  a  translucent  aspect,  showing  that  it  is 
merely  dried  and  not  tanned  in  any  way. 

The  hair  on  the  new  specimen  varies  in  length  from  0.07  m.  or 
o.io  m.  to  0.15  m.  or  0.22  m.  It  is  thus  longer  than  that  of  the 
previous  piece  of  s'tcin.  Masses  of  still  longer  hairs — some  0.30  m. 
in  length — were  found  detached  among  the  excrement,  and  these  are 
also  believed  by  Roth  to  belong  to  the  same  animal.  His  determina- 
tion is  probably  correct ;  for,  when  examined  microscopically,  these  long 
hairs  are  observed  to  have  a  perfectly  smooth  cuticle,  while  some  trans- 
verse sections  (kindly  made  by  Mr.  R.  H.  BurneJ  demonstrate  the  com- 
plete absence  of  a  medulla,  exactly  as  in  the  short  hairs.  The  latter 
feature  proves  that  they  cannot  be  referred  either  to  the  horse  or  to 
the  guanaco. 

Excrejtient. 

The  large  cylindrical  pieces  of  excrement,  which  may  be  referred  to 
Grypothcriii))i  without  any  hesitation,  have  already  been  described  and 
figured  by  Dr.  Roth.  They  consist  of  irregular  discoids  of  herbaceous 
matter  closely  pressed  together,  the  largest  measuring  no  less  than  o.  i  8  m. 
in  diameter.  IMr.  Spencer  Moore  has  kindly  examined  them  from  the 
botanist's  point  of  view  and  reports  that  they  are  composed  "  in  large 
part  apparently  of  grasses,  as  the  haulms,  leaf-sheaths,  fragments  of 
leaves,  &c.,  of  these  plants  are  frequent  in  the  mass.  A  spikelct,  almost 
entire,  of  what  seems  to  be  a  species  of  Poa,  and  the  flowering  glume  of 
another  grass,  probably  avenaccous,  have  also  been  found.  Ik'sidcs  these 
there  are  at  least  two  dicotyledonous  plants,  one  herbaceous  and  the 
other  almost  certainly  so,  the  latter  having  a  slender  greatly  sclcrotised 
stem.      Unfortunately,  as  no  leaves  have  hitherto  been  observed  attached 

P.  Z.  S.  iS(j9,  pi.  XV.  Figs.  4-6. 


324         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

to  the  fragments  of  stem,  their  affinities  are  altogether  doubtful.  There 
are  numerous  silicious  particles  in  the  excrement,  and  there  are  many 
pieces  of  the  underground  parts  of  the  plants,  suggesting  that  they  have 
been  pulled  out  of  the  ground.  A  few  pieces  of  stems  are  sharply  cut, 
not  bruised  or  torn  at  the  end."  The  latter  fact  is  especially  important 
in  connection  with  Dr.  Hauthal's  discovery  of  cut  hay  in  the  cavern, 
and  his  theory  that  the  Grvpothcriurn  was  kept  in  captivity  and  fed 
by  man. 

Generic  and  Specific  Dcternmiation. 

The  fortunate  discovery  of  all  parts  of  the  skull  and  dentition  renders 
the  generic  determination  of  this  Ground-Sloth  now  quite  certain.  The 
teeth  show  that  it  belongs  to  the  family  Mylodontidae  ;  the  presence 
of  only  four  instead  of  five  upper  molars  separates  it  from  the  genera 
MylodoHy  Lestodofi,  and  Scelidot/ieriuin ;  the  forward  production  of  the 
nasals  and  the  ossification  of  part  of  the  internarial  septum  place  it 
definitely  in  the  allied  genus  GrypotJierium,  as  originally  diagnosed  by 
Reinhardt.  The  only  question  needing  consideration  is,  whether  the  frag- 
ment of  cranium  described  by  Owen  in  1840  as  the  type  of  the  genus 
GlossotJicriuvi  *  is  really  identical  with  that  subsequently  described  by 
Reinhardt  under  the  name  of  Grypothcrinin  dariuijii,  as  now  seems  to  be 
commonly  believed. 

Darwin's  original  specimen,  on  which  the  genus  Ghssotheriuvi  of  Owen 
was  founded,  is  preserved  in  the  Museum  of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons. 
It  has  thus  been  possible  to  compare  it  directly  with  the  undoubted 
cranium  of  GrypotJierium  from  the  Patagonian  cavern.  The  specimen  is 
merely  the  left  half  of  the  hinder  part  of  the  cranium,  and  is  therefore  very 
inadequate  for  discussion  ;  but  several  features  seem  worthy  of  note.  Com- 
pared with  the  new  skull  No.  i,  the  fragment  named  GlossotJicriuvi  has 
(i.)  the  inner  wall  of  the  temporal  fossa  less  flattened,  (ii.)  the  digastric 
fossa  deeper  in  proportion  to  its  width,  (iii.)  the  hinder  border  of  the  in- 
flated pterygoid  vertical,  instead  of  sloping  downwards  and  forwards,  (iv.)  a 
much  larger  and  deeper  pit  for  the  articulation  of  the  stylohyal,  and  (v.)  a 
longer  canal  penetrating  the  base  of  the  occipital  condyle  for  the  passage 
of  the  hypoglossal  nerve.  In  all  these  respects  the  so-called  GlossotJieriian 
agrees  much  more  closely  with  the  typical  Mylodon  ;  and  Owen  was  pro- 
bably correct  in  1842  when  he  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  two  are  at 
least  generically  identical.t 

•'■  R.Owen,  "The  Zoology  of  the  Voyage  of  H.M.S.  Beagle. — Parti.  Fossil  Mam- 
malia" (1840),  p.  57,  pi.  xvi. 

f  K,  Owen,  "  Description  of  the  Skeleton  of  an  Extinct  Gigantic  Sloth,  Mylodon 
robustus,  Owen"  (1842),  p.  154,  foot-note. 


APPENDIX  A 


r-s 


I  am  therefore  of  opinion  that  Grypotherium  is  the  correct  generic 
name  for  the  Ground-Sloth  from  the  Patagonian  cavern,  while  Glosso- 
theriiun  must  be  relegated  to  the  synonymy  of  Mylodon. 

The  specific  determination  of  the  new  specimens  is  more  difficult.  As 
remarked  by  Roth,  only  two  species  of  Grypotherium  seem  to  be  already 
known  from  the  Pampa  formation — G.  danuini  by  three  skulls  *  and 
G.  bonacrense  solely  by  a  maxilla. f  The  portions  of  skull  and  dentition 
now  under  discussion  indicate  an  animal  much  larger  than  G.  bonaercnse 
(assuming  the  original  maxilla  to  be  that  of  an  adult)  ;  while  they  are  con- 
siderably smaller  than  any  known  specimen  of  G.  darzuini.  Moreover,  the 
nasal  arcade  now  described  is  narrower  and  more  concave  on  its  outer  face 
than  that  of  G.  darzuini,  as  already  observed  by  Roth.  It  thus  seems 
very  probable  that  the  animal  from  the  Patagonian  cavern  represents 
a  distinct  species,  which  must  bear  the  name  of  G.  listai.  This  specific 
name  was  given  by  Ameghino  to  a  fragment  of  the  first-discovered  piece  of 
skin,  and  the  curious  argument  which  leads  Roth  to  propose  the  substitu- 
tion of  a  new  name  for  it  does  not  affect  its  validity. 

It  maybe  added  that  Dr.  Erland  Xordenskjold  has  recently  compared 
his  specimens  from  the  Patagonian  cavern  with  the  skull  of  Grypotherium 
darzuini  at  Copenhagen,  and  finds  no  specific  difference. [J;  No  particulars 
however,  have  yet  been  published. 


2.  Associated  Mammalian  Remains. 

Felis,  sp. 

A  feline  carnivore  larger  than  the  existing  Jaguar  {Felis  onca\  but 
about  the  same  size  as  an  average  Tiger  /'\  tigris),  is  represented  in 
the  collection  by  the  distal  half  of  a  right  humerus  (No.  44  ,  a  left  fourth 
metatarsal  fXo.  46),  and  the  distal  end  of  another  metatarsal  (No.  47). 
These  bones  have  evidently  been  buried  in  dust,  but  are  in  the  same  fresh 
state  of  preservation  as  those  of  Grypotherium. 

Careful  comparison  of  these  bones  shows  that  they  are  undoubtedly 
feline  ;  and  there  is  no  difficulty  in  determining  that  they  belong  to  /w7/s 
rather  than  to  the  extinct  Maeha-rodus.  A  humerus  of  M.  neoi^^ceus,  from  a 
Brazilian   cavern,  now   in    the   British   Mu.seum    (^No.  1 8972 /'\  is    readily 

*  Described  respectively  by  Reinhardt,  Burmeister,  and  Lydckker, /oc.  f i/. 

f  F.  Amef,'hino,  "  Contril)iici()n  al  Conocimicnto  de  los  Mainifcros  dc  la  Rcpublica 
Argentina"  (1889),  p.  738,  pi.  .xliv.  Tig.  8. 

I  E.  Nordcnskjold,  "  La  Grotte  du  Glussotlurium  (Neomylodon)  en  PataRonie," 
Comptes  Rendus,  vol.  c.xxix.  (1899),  p.  1217. 


326         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

distinguished  from  the  new  Patagonian  humerus  by  the  remarkable  lateral 
compression  of  its  shaft  and  the  much  greater  downward  extension  of  its 
prominent  and  sharp  deltoid  ridge.  The  humerus  in  all  the  large  species 
of  Fclis,  on  the  other  hand,  only  differs  from  the  fossil  now  under  discus- 
sion in  very  small  particulars.  In  fact,  the  humerus  and  metatarsals  of 
the  existing  Feiis  onca  are  essentially  identical  with  the  bones  from  the  Pata- 
gonian cavern,  except  that  they  are  rather  smaller.  I  am  therefore 
inclined  to  regard  the  newly  discovered  remains  as  indicating  a  compara- 
tively large  variety  of  F.  onca,  which  once  lived  in  the  temperate  regions 
of  Patagonia,  beyond  the  present  range  of  this  species.  Such  an  occur- 
rence would  be  a  precise  parallel  to  that  of  the  Cave-Lion  in  Europe.  It 
is  well  known  that  nearly  all  the  remains  of  F.  Ico  found  in  the  Pleisto- 
cene formations  of  the  temperate  parts  of  the  Old  World  indicate  animals 
of  somewhat  larger  size  than  any  surviving  in  the  warmer  regions  to  which 
the  species  is  now  confined.* 

It  may  be  noted  that  bones  of  the  Jaguar  of  ordinary  dimensions  have 
been  recorded  from  the  Pampa  formation  of  the  Province  of  Buenos 
Aires.t 

ArctotJieriu7n ,  sp. 

With  the  bones  of  Fclis  just  noticed,  Roth  provisionally  associates 
the  imperfect  distal  end  of  a  remarkably  large  right  femur.  He  is 
thus  induced  to  suppose  that  the  carnivore  represented  by  the  fragments 
will  prove  to  be  a  new  genus  and  species  of  the  Felidee.  He  suggests 
for  it  the  name  of  Icmisch  listai,  on  the  assumption  that  it  is  the  mys- 
terious quadruped  which  Ameghino  states  is  known  to  the  natives  as  the 
lemisch. 

A  comparison  of  the  distal  end  of  the  femur  in  question  with  the  femora 
of  Felidai  in  the  British  Museum  seems  to  prove  conclusively  that  it 
cannot  be  referred  even  to  the  same  family.  Its  width  across  the  condyles 
is  much  greater,  compared  with  its  antero-posterior  diameter,  than  that 
observed  in  any  feline.  Moreover,  the  pit  for  the  tendon  of  the  popliteus 
muscle  below  the  external  condyle  is  unusually  deep.  In  both  these 
respects  the  bone  closely  resembles  the  distal  end  of  the  femur  of  a  I^ear. 
1  have  been  therefore  led  to  compare  it  with  the  corresponding  part  of 
the  extinct  Bear  of  the  Pampean  formation,  Arctotheriuin. 

Fortunately,  the  fine  and  nearly  complete  skeleton  oi  ArctotJicriiwi 
bonaercnsc  in    the    l^ravard  Collection    in    the    British    Museum    comprises 

=;=  Dawkins  and  Sanford,  "The  British  Pleistocene  Mammalia"  (Palseont.  Soc, 
1869),  p.  150. 

I  F.  Ameghino,  "  Contribucion  al  Conocimiento  de  los  Mamiferos  de  la  Republica 
Argentina  "  (1889),  p.  342. 


APPENDIX  A 


327 


the  right  femur  and  enables  direct  comparison  to  be  made.  The 
fragment  lacks  the  inner  condyle  ;  but  enough  of  the  trochlea  remains 
to  show  its  broad  and  gently-rounded  form,  with  a  wide  and  deep 
intertrochlear  notch,  precisely  as  in  Arctotheriuvi.  It  has  the  same 
development  of  the  external  condyle  as  in  the  latter,  while  the  fossa  for 
the  popliteal  tendon  is  equally  deep,  only  slightly  differing  in  shape.  In 
fact,  there  is  very  little  discrepancy,  except  in  its  smaller  size  ;  and  species 
o{  ArctotheritijH  smaller  than  A.  bonaerensc  are  already  known  both  from 
the  Pampa  formation  of  Argentina*  and  the  caverns  of  Brazil. f 

The  fragment  just  described  has  evidently  been  severed  from  the  rest 
of  the  bone  by  a  sharp,  clean  cut  made  by  man  ;  and  Dr.  Hauthal  is 
quite  certain  that  this  was  not  done  by  one  of  his  workmen  during 
excavation  (op.  cit.  p.  59).  At  least  one  medium-sized  species  of 
Arctothcriuin  must  therefore  have  survived  until  the  human  period  in 
Southern  Patagonia.j 


OiioJiippidiuvi  saldiasi. 

A  horse  is  represented  in  the  collection  by  an  upper  molar,  a  frag- 
ment of  premaxilla  with  two  incisors,  an  imperfect  atlas  and  two  well- 
preserved  hoofs  apparently  of  a  foetus  or  perhaps  of  a  newly-born  animal. 
Of  these  remains  only  the  upper  molar  is  capable  of  satisfactory  deter- 
mination. 

This  tooth  is  the  second  upper  molar  of  the  left  side,  and  has  been 
exhaustively  compared  with  corresponding  teeth  by  Dr.  Roth,  who  gives 
a  good  series  of  figures.  It  is  readily  distinguished  from  the  homologous 
molar  in  the  genus  Equiis  by  the  peculiar  form  of  its  two  inner  columns 
— a  fact  which  I  have  been  able  to  verify  by  the  examination  of  an 
extensive  series  of  specimens,  both  recent  and  fossil,  in  the  British 
Museum.  Further  comparison,  indeed,  shows  that  it  must  be  referred  to 
the  extinct  Pampean  genus  OnoJiippidium.%^  Dr.  Roth  assigns  it,  appa- 
rently quite  rightly,  to  the  same  species  as  a  maxilla  from  the  Pampean 
formation  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  fir  which  he  proposes  the 
name  of  OnoJiippidiioii  saldiasi. 


*  F.  Ameghino,  op.  cit.  (18S9),  p.  317. 

t  H.  Winge,  "Jordfundne  og  nulevende  Rovdyr  (Carnivora)  fra  Lagoa  Santa,  Minas 
Geraes,  Brasilien  "  (E.  Miiseo  Lundii,  1895),  p.  31. 

I  Dr.  Moreno  has  lately  received  reports  of  bear-like  tracks  in  remote  parts  of  the 
Cordillera,  which  he  thinks  may  imply  that  a  species  of  Antotlurium  still  lives  in 
Patagonia. 

§  F.  P.  Moreno,  "  Rcvista  Mus.  La  Plata,"  vol.  ii,  (iSyi).  p.  56.  K.  Lydckkcr, 
"  Anales  Mus.  La  Plata — Paleont.  .Argentina,"  vol.  ii.  pt.  3  (1893),  p.  77,  pi.  xxi.x. 


328         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 


LarsrC'  Extinct  Rodent. 


'<b 


The  proximal  end  of  the  femur  of  a  large  rodent  has  already  been 
recognised  by  Roth,  and  compared  with  the  extinct  Megauiys.  It  cannot 
be  more  exactly  determined. 


Existing  Species. 

One  imperfect  fragment  of  pelvis  and  sacrum  seems  to  belong  to 
a  puma  {Felis  conco/or)  of  rather  large  size  ;  but  it  is  not  sufficient  for 
precise  determination. 

The  small  mandibular  ramus  of  a  musteline  referred  by  Dr.  Roth 
to  Mephitis  sitffocans,  does  not  pertain  to  this  genus  and  species. 
Mr.  Oldfield  Thomas  determines  it  to  belong  to  the  rare  Lyncodon 
patagonicus,  which  still  lives  in  Patagonia  and  has  not  hitherto  been  found 
fossil.  A  slightly  larger  extinct  species  of  the  same  genus  has  been 
described  by  Ameghino  on  the  evidence  of  a  skull  from  the  Pampean 
formation  near  Lujan,  in  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires."^ 

A  cranium,  some  vertebrae,  and  a  tibia  and  fibula  appear  to  represent 
the  existing  Ctenomys  magcllaniciis,  as  noted  by  Roth. 

The  remains  of  the  Guanaco  {Lama  /manacos)  do  not  present  any 
features  worthy  of  special  remark. 

Man  is  represented  by  a  diseased  scapula  and  by  two  bone  awls,  which 
are  clearly  made  from  the  tibia  of  a  species  of  Canis  intermediate  in 
size  between  C.  jiibatus  and  C.  viagcilanicns. 


3.    Relative   Age   of  the    Remains. 

As  the  result  of  Dr.  Roth's  researches,  supplemented  by  the  additional 
observations  now  recorded,  it  is  evident  that  the  majority  of  the  mam- 
malian remains  from  the  cavern  near  Last  Hope  Inlet  belong  to  the 
extinct  fauna  which  occurs  in  the  Pampean  formation  of  more  northern 
regions.  To  this  category  are  referable  the  genera  Grypotheriuvi,  OnoJiip- 
pidium,  Megauiys,  and  ArctotJieriiini ;  also  MacraucJicnia,  which  is  said  to 
have  been  discovered  in  the  same  deposit  on  the  floor  of  the  cave  by 
Dr.  E.  Nordenskjold.  The  large  Fells  likewise  probably  belongs  to  the 
same  series.  Remains  of  mammals  of  the  existing  fauna,  on  the  other 
hand,  are  comparatively  few  and  insignificant,  referable  to  the  genera 
Ctenomys,  Cervtts,  Lama,  Lyncodon,  and  Felis. 

*  F.  Ameghino,  op.  cit.  (1889),  p.  324. 


APPENDIX  A  329 

Although  Dr.  Ilauthal's  explorations  were  rather  hurried  and  Dr. 
NordenskjOld's  results  have  only  been  published  hitherto  in  abstract,* 
their  account  of  the  deposits  on  the  floor  of  the  cavern  seem  to  confirm 
the  suspicion  that  the  remains  of  these  two  faunas  were  introduced  at  two 
successive  periods.  According  to  liauthal,  the  remains  of  the  Guanaco 
were  found  along  with  fragmentary  bones  of  Deer,  shells  oi  JMyti/us  choruSy 
branches  of  trees,  and  dried  leaves,  in  the  superficial  dust  of  the  cavern 
near  the  outer  wall.  The  skin  of  GrypotJicriiuii  and  all  the  other  remains 
of  this  and  the  associated  Pampean  genera  were  discovered  in  the  deeper 
layer  of  excrement  and  cut  hay  between  the  mound  and  the  inner  wall  of 
the  cavern.  According  to  Nordenskjold,  three  distinct  strata  can  be 
recojinised  on  the  floor  of  the  cavern  as  follows  : 


'to' 


A.  A  thin  surface  layer,  containing  ashes,  shells,  and  bones  of  recent  animals 

broken  by  man. 

B.  A  middle  layer,  containing  numerous  branches  of  trees  and  dried  leaves,  with 

remains  oi  Lama  and  the  extinct  horse,  Onohippidium.  Said  to  be  probably 
the  stratum  in  which  the  original  piece  of  skin  was  found. 

C.  A  bottom  layer,  usually  about  a  metre  in  thickness,  without  any  traces  of 

branches  or  leaves,  but  only  dried  herbs.  Remains  of  Grypvthcrium 
numerous  and  confined  to  this  stratum,  associated  with  its  excrement  and 
hair,  also  with  remains  of  a  large  variety  of  Fdis  onca,  MacraucJuitia,  and 
Onohippiiliuiii. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  the  question  of  the  contemporaneity  of  the 
various  bones  cannot  be  tested  by  the  ingenious  method  of  chemical 
analysis  which  has  been  applied  with  success  to  similar  problems  by 
M.  Adolphe  Carnot  in  France.  The  French  chemist  has  shown  that  when 
bones  are  buried  in  ordinary  sediments  they  undergo  changes  which 
gradually  cause  the  percentage  of  contained  fluorine  to  increase.  Accord- 
ing to  him,  the  longer  a  bone  has  been  buried,  the  greater  is  the  percentage 
of  fluorine  found  in  it  on  analysis.  In  one  case  f  he  examined  the  scapula  of 
a  deer  and  a  human  tibia,  discovered  together  in  fluviatile  sand  near  Billan- 
court  (Seine)  ;  he  found  that  the  former  had  seven  or  eight  times  its  usual 
percentage  of  fluorine,  while  the  human  bone  did  not  differ  in  any  respect 
from  the  normal  in  this  constituent.  He  therefore  concluded  that  the 
latter  bone  was  not  of  the  same  age  as  the  former,  but  had  been  intro- 
duced comparatively  recently  by  burial.  In  this  and  the  other  recorded 
cases,  however,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  the  sediment  was  of  a  uniform 
character  and  admitted  of  free  percolation  of  water.  In  the  Patagonian 
cavern,  on    the    contrary,  the   bones   occur   partly  in   dust,  partly  in  dried 

■■■-  E.  Nordenskjold,  "  LaGrotte  du  GlossotheriHm{N corny lodott)  en  Patagonie,"  Compte* 
Rendus,  vol.  c.x.xix.  (iSyg),  pp.  121(1.  121 7. 

t  A.  Carnot,  "  Sur  une  .Application  de  IWnalyse  chimiciuc  pour  fixer  l'.\gr  d'Ossc- 
ments  humains  prehistoriques,"  Coinptes  Rendus,  vol.  cxv,  (1892),  pp.  337-339- 


330         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

herbage,  partly  in  dried  excrement,  and  partly  in  the  burnt  residue  of  the 
same.  Moreover,  they  must  always  have  been  subjected  to  intense  dryness, 
and  the  usual  process  of  chemical  alteration  cannot  have  taken  place. 

Considering  all  circumstances,  I  think  that,  even  without  chemical 
evidence,  zoologists  and  geologists  cannot  fail  now  to  agree  with  Dr. 
Moreno  and  his  colleagues  of  the  La  Plata  Museum,  that  the  remarkably 
preserved  GrypotJieriuin  from  the  Patagonian  cavern  belongs  to  the  extinct 
Pampean  fauna  of  South  America,  and  need  not  be  searched  for  in  the 
unexplored  wilds  of  that  continent.  If  we  accept  the  confirmatory 
evidence  afforded  by  Mr.  Spencer  Moore,  we  can  also  hardly  refuse  to 
believe  that  this  great  Ground-Sloth  was  actually  kept  and  fed  by  an 
early  race  of  man. 


IV.  Note  concerning  Tehuelche  Legends. 
By  Hesketh  Prichard. 

I  now  proceed  to  give  the  testimony  of  Dr.  F.  Ameghino,  whose 
brother  Carlos  was  well  acquainted  with  the  country  and  who  early 
gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  animal,  which  is  named  the  Ncomylodon 
listaz,  was  still  living  in  Patagonia.  In  support  of  his  opinion  he 
adduced  tales  which  Carlos  Ameghino  had  gathered  from  the  Indians, 
who  roam  the  pampas,  of  a  vast  mysterious  beast  said  by  them  to  haunt 
the  distant  lagoons  and  forests  of  the  unexplored  regions  near  the  Andes. 
These  stories  had,  moreover,  been  confirmed  in  Dr.  Ameghino's  opinion  by 
the  experience  of  the  late  well-known  geographer  and  traveller,  Seiior 
Ramon  Lista,  who  verbally  told  both  Dr.  Ameghino  and  his  brother  that 
he  had  seen  and  fired  at  a  mysterious  creature,  which,  however,  disappeared 
in  the  brushwood  and  could  not  afterwards  be  traced.  He  described  it  as 
being  covered  with  reddish-grey  hair,  and  he  believed  it  to  be  a  pangolin 
or  scaly-anteater.*  Taking  all  things  into  consideration.  Dr.  Ameghino 
announced  his  conviction  that  the  mysterious  animal  referred  to  was  the  last 
representative  of  a  group,  long  believed  extinct,  related  to  the  Mylodon. 

According  to  Dr.  Ameghino  the  Indians  had  bestowed  upon  the 
mysterious  animal  the  name  of  lemisch.  Nothing  would  induce  them  to 
penetrate  into  the  supposed  haunts  of  this  monster.  It  was  described  as 
amphibious,  equally  at  home  on  land  or  in  the  water  ;  in  remote 
mountain  recesses  it  lurked  in  caves,  or  had  its  lairs  by  the  shores  of 
lonely  lagoons  and  rivers,  or  at  times  lay  in  wait  among  the  lower  passes 
of  the  Cordillera.  In  habits  it  was  nocturnal,  and  its  strength  so  great 
that  it  could  seize  a  horse  in  its  claws,  and  hold  itself  down  to  the 
bottoms  of  the  lakes  i      The  head  was  supposed   to  be  short  and  without 

*   Pangolins,  armadillos,  and  sloths  are  more  or  less  related. 


APPENDIX  A  331 

external  ears,  but  showing  enormous  dog-teeth  :  the  feet  short  and  bear- 
like, armed  with  formidable  claws  united  by  a  swimming  membrane  ;  the 
long  tail,  tapering  and  prehensile,  the  hair  hard  and  of  a  uniform  yellowish- 
brown.  In  size  it  far  exceeded  any  creature  they  knew  of,  its  legs, 
though  short,  being  almost  as  great  in  girth  as  its  body.  It  followed, 
naturally  that  narratives  of  personal  experiences  and  encounters  with 
this  terrific  animal  were  varied. 

These  data,  it  must  be  confessed,  were  bewildering.  In  fact,  as  described 
by  the  Indians  the  lemisch  was  scientifically  absurd  ;  but  the  Indian  is 
like  a  child  in  many  ways  and  would  naturally  endow  a  creature  he  feared 
with  extraordinary  attributes. 

I  will  quote  here  an  extract  from  Winwood  Reade's  "  Sa\age  Africa," 
one  of  the  finest  books  of  travel  ever  written. 

"It  must  be  laid  down  as  a  general  principle  that  man  can  originate 
nothing ;  that  lies  are  always  truths  embellished,  distorted,  or  turned 
inside  out.  There  are  other  facts  beside  those  which  lie  on  the  surface, 
and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  traveller  and  the  historian  to  sift  and  wash  the 
gold-grains  of  truth  from  the  dirt  of  fable.  ...  It  is  true  that  some  of 
the  ancient  myths  have  been  sobered  down  to  natural  beings.  The  men 
with  dogs'  heads  of  whom  Herodotus  speaks  are  the  barkii:g  baboons 
which  I  saw  in  Senegal  :  the  men  with  their  head  under  their  shoulders, 
their  eyes  in  their  breast,  are  the  ill-formed  negroes,  whose  shoulders  are 
shrugged  up,  and  whose  heads  drop  on  their  breasts  :  the  mermaids  of 
the  Arab  tales  are  the  sea-cows  of  the  African  rivers,  which  ha\e  feminine 
dugs  and  a  face  almost  human  in  expression  :  the  huge  serpent  which 
opposed  the  army  of  Regulus  is  now  well  known  as  the  python  :  the 
burning  mountains  which  Hanno  saw,  and  the  sounds  of  the  lutes  which 
were  believed  to  proceed  from  the  strife  of  the  elements,  are  only  caused 
by  the  poor  negroes  burning  the  grass  of  their  hill-tops  :  the  music  being 
that  of  their  flutes,  as  I  have  heard  it  often  in  those  long  and  silent 
African  nights  far  away. 

"  Incredulity  has  now  become  so  vulgar  a  folly,  that  one  is  almost 
tempted,  out  of  simple  hatred  for  a  fashion,  to  run  into  the  opposite 
extreme.  However,  I  shall  content  myself  with  citing  evidence  respecting 
certain  unknown,  fabulous  and  monstrous  animals  of  Africa,  without  com- 
mitting myself  to  an  opinion  one  way  or  the  other;  preserving  only  my 
conviction  that  there  is  always  a  basis  of  truth  to  the  most  fantastic  fables, 
and  that,  by  rejecting  without  inijuiry  that  which  appears  incredible,  one 
throws  away  ore  in  which  others  might  lia\e  found  a  jewel.  A  traveller 
should  believe  nothing,  for  he  will  find  himself  so  often  deceived  :  and  he 
should  disbelieve  nothing,  for  he  will  .see  so  many  wonderful  things  ; 
he  should  doubt,  he  should  investigate,  and  then,  perhaps,  he  may 
discover." 


332         THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

It  was  in  this  spirit  that  I  set  out  for  the  interior  of  Patagonia. 
Although  the  legends  of  the  Indians  were  manifestly  to  a  large  extent 
the  result  of  imaginative  exaggeration,  yet  I  hoped  to  find  a  substratum 
of  fact  below  these  fancies.  After  thorough  examination,  however,  I  am 
obliged  to  say  that  I  found  none.  The  Indians  not  only  never  enter  the 
Cordillera  but  avoid  the  very  neighbourhood  of  the  mountains.  The 
rumours  of  the  lemisch  and  the  stories  concerning  it,  which,  in  print,  had 
assumed  a  fairly  definite  form,  I  found  nebulous  in  the  extreme  when 
investigated  on  the  spot. 

Finally,  after  much  investigation  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Indian  legends  in  all  probability  refer  to  some  large  species  of  otter. 
Musters,  in  his  book  "At  Home  witli  the  Patagonians,"  makes  mention  of 
an  animal  much  feared  by  the  tribe  with  whom  he  travelled,  which  they 
called  "  water-tiger,"  and  which  they  said  lived  in  a  rapid  and  deep  river 
near  to  Nahuel-huapi,  a  lake  the  name  of  which  lends  colour  to  the  tale, 
for  it  means  Tigers'  Island.  Musters  says  he  himself  saw  two  ostriches,, 
that,  being  considered  in  too  poor  a  condition  to  be  worth  taking  to  camp 
for  food,  were  left  on  the  bank  of  the  river  referred  to,  torn  and  partly 
devoured  when  on  the  following  day  he  and  his  party  revisited  the  spot. 
Tracks  of  an  animal  were  also  plainly  visible  leading  down  into  the 
water. 

Compare  this  with  a  story  told  me  by  Mr.  Von  Plaaten  Hallermund. 
He  described  the  case  of  a  mule  which  had  fallen  over  a  precipice  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  River  Deseado.  When  on  the  following  day  the  pcones 
climbed  down  to  salve  its  cargo,  they  found  the  animal  on  the  edge  of 
the  water  half  eaten,  and  in  its  neighbourhood  were  tracks  strange  to 
them.      "  Like  those  of  a  puma,  yet  not  those  of  a  puma,"  as  they  said. 

The  manager  of  Messrs.  Braun  and  Blanchard's  store  at  Santa  Cruz 
gave  me  a  description  of  a  skin  brought  in  by  Indians  which,  though  not 
a  puma-skin,  was  quite  as  large  as  the  skin  of  the  common  silver-grey 
puma  generally  is.  I  myself  saw  a  very  large  otter  in  the  River  Senguerr,. 
but  unluckily  had  not  my  rifle  with  me,  and  although  I  returned  as  quickly 
with  it  as  I  could,  all  trace  of  the  otter  had  vanished. 

Taking  into  consideration  the  amphibious  nature  attributed  by  the 
Indians  to  the  lemisch,  there  seems  to  be  little  reason  to  doubt  that  the 
real  animal  underlying  the  rumours  of  a  mysterious  monster  is  a  sub- 
species of  the  large  Brazilian  otter  {Lutra  brasiliensis). 

To  return  to  the  possible  survival  of  the  Mylodon,  as  far  as  our  travels 
led  us  both  north  and  south  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Cordillera,  we 
could  discover  no  trace  whatever  either  by  hearsay  or  from  the  evidence 
of  our  own  experience  to  warrant  the  supposition  that  it  continues  to 
exist  to  the  present  day.  But  there  are  hundreds  of  square  miles  of 
dense  forest  still  unexplored   along  the  whole  length  of  the   Patagonian 


APPENDIX  A  i,2]> 

Andes,  and  I  do  not  undertake  to  declare  positively  that  no  such  animal 
exists  in  some  unknown  and  hidden  spot  among  their  recesses. 
Roughly  speaking,  there  are  many  thousand  square  miles  of  snowy 
summits,  ravines,  high  plateaus  and  valleys  in  this  region.  The  task  of 
finding  a  final  answer  to  the  IMylodon  problem  on  the  drag-net  principle 
of  passing  to  and  fro  throughout  the  whole  district  would  be  so  gigantic 
and  prolonged  where  the  natural  difficulties  are  great,  as  to  be  practically 
impossible.  Such  an  answer  must  be  left  to  time  and  the  slow  process 
of  things.  In  the  meanwhile  I  can  merely  state  my  own  conviction  that 
the  odds  are  very  heavily  against  the  chances  of  such  a  survival.  The 
probable  habitat  of  the  IMylodon  would  naturally  be  the  forests.  I 
penetrated  these  in  more  than  one  direction,  and  one  of  the  most 
striking  characteristics  of  the  forests  was  the  absence  of  animal  life, 
evidence  of  which  grew  less  and  less  the  farther  we  forced  our  way  into 
their  depths.  It  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that,  where  the  larger 
forms  of  life  are  to  be  found,  there  also  a  liberal  catalogue  of  lesser 
creatures  co-exist.  The  conditions  which  favour  the  life  of  the  greater 
favour  also  the  existence  of  the  less.  This  is  presumptive  evidence  on!}-, 
and  though  it  has  certainly  influenced  my  own  conclusions,  I  do  not 
wish  to  force  it  upon  others.  I  have  stated  the  case  as  fairly  as  I  can, 
and  I  leave  my  readers  to  form  their  own  opinions. 


APPENDIX    B 


0?i  a  new  Form  of  Puma  from  Patagonia. 

By  Oldfield  Thomas,  F.R.S. 

The  National  Collection  owes  to  the  generosity  of  Mr.  C.  Arthur 
Pearson  the  skin  of  a  fine  puma,  obtained  by  Mr.  Hesketh  Prichard  during 
the  xdCQ-wX.  Daily  Express  expedition  to  Patagonia.  The  skin  is  remarkably 
unlike  any  known  form  of  puma,  and  appears  certainly  to  represent  a  new 
sub-species. 

Dr.  Matschie  has  already  shown  *  that  the  red  puma  of  the  tropics 
to  which  he  restricts  the  name  Felis  concolor,  is  replaced  south  of  25°  S. 
lat.  by  the  silver-grey  form  for  which  Molina's  name,  E.  pjima,  is  used. 

Now,  again,  south  of  about  44°  S.  lat.,  there  proves  to  be  another 
form,  represented  in  the  British  Museum  not  only  by  Mr.  Prichard's  skin 
from  Santa  Cruz,  but  by  a  second  much  younger  specimen  from  the  Rio 
Senguer.  Both  show  the  same  characteristics,  and  are  equally  different 
from  the  Argentine  silver-grey  form. 

In  commemoration  of  Mr.  Pearson's  scientific  spirit  in  sending  out  the 
expedition,  and  in  presenting  the  specimen  to  the  National  Museum,  I 
would  propose  to  call  it 

Eelis  concolor  Pearsoni,  sub-sp.  n. 

General  build  thick  and  sturdy,  with  comparatively  shf)rt  limbs  and 
tail.  Fur  thick  and  woolly,  the  specimens  evidently  in  winter  pelage. 
General  colour  nearest  to  Ridgway's  "clay-colour,"  therefore  exceedingly 
different  from  the  nearly  "  drab-grey "  of  E".  c.  puma.  This  colour  is 
most  vivid  along  the  back,  paler  laterally  on  the  sides,  but  there  is  nothing 
that  can  be  called  a  distinct  dorsal  dark  line.  Undersurface  whitish-fawn, 
the  hairs  sandy  at  their  bases,  whiter  terminally.  Face  very  much  like 
back,  darker   markings   practically   obsolete  ;   the   usual   lighter   markings 

'■'•  SB.  Ges.  nat.  Fr.  Berlin,  1892,  p.  220 ;  1894,  p.  58. 


APPENDIX  B 


335 


near  the  eye  present  but  not  conspicuous.  Kars  of  normal  length,  their 
backs  uniformly  whitish-fawn,  without  darker  markings.  Outer  sides  of 
Jimbs  like  back,  inner  sides  like  belly  ;  ends  of  fingers  and  toes  whitish, 
without  any  darker  markings  round  the  pads.  Tail  proportionally  very 
short,  brownish  clay-colour  above,  whitish  below,  the  tip  not  or  scarcely 
darker. 

Dimensions  of  the  typical  skin,  which  has  been  tanned  and  stretched, 
so  that  the  measurements  are  merely  approximate  : — Head  and  body 
1370  millim.,  tail  530,  ear  80. 

Hab.   Santa  Cruz,  Patagonia  ;   about  70  miles  inland. 

Type.  Female.  B.M.  No.  i.  8.  12.  i.  Brought  home  by  .Mr.  11. 
Prichard  and  presented  by  Mr.  C.  Arthur  Pearson. 

The  skin  was  bought  by  Mr.  iVichard  from  Indians  in  the  region 
mentioned,  so  that  neither  flesh-measurements  nor  skull  were  obtained. 

The  second  skin  is  that  of  a  young  male,  killed  on  the  Senguerr  River, 
in  March  1897,  by  one  of  the  collectors  from  the  La  Plata  Museum,  by 
whom  it  was  presented  to  the  British  Museum.  Owing  to  its  youth,  its 
peculiarities  had  not  been  previously  noticed. 

F.  c.  Pcarsoni  is  distinguished  from  F.  c.  puvia  not  only  by  its  very- 
different  general  colour,  but  also  by  its  shorter  tail,  light-colourc^d  ear- 
backs,  and  the  absence  of  the  dark  markings  round  the  digital  pads. 


APPENDIX    C 


LIST  OF  PLANTS.*     Bv  James  Britten,  F.L.S.,   and 
A.  B.   Rendle,  M.A.,  D.Sc. 


Hamadryas  Kingii,  Hook.  fil. 
Ranunculus  peduncularis,  Sm. 
Anemone,  cf.  lanigera,  Gay. 
Berberis  buxifolia,  Lam.     . 
Berberis  empetrifolia,  Lam. 
Senebiera  pinnatifida,  DC. 
Thlaspi  gracile,  Phil. 
Draba  Gilliesii,  Hook. 
Cardamine  pratensis,  L.  var. 
Nasturtium,  aff.  palustre,  L. 
Viola  maculata,  Cav. 
Polygala  Salasiana,  Gay. 
Lychnis  magellanica.  Lam. 
Stellaria  debilis,  D'Urv. 
Cerastium  arvense,  L. 

var. 
Arenaria  serpens,  H.B  K.,  several  forms 

Calandrinia  caispitosa.  Gill. 
Geranium  magellanicum,  Hook.  fil. 
Erodium  cicutarium,  L'Herit. 
Oxalis  enneaphylla,  Cav.,  var.  pumila, 
Hook,  fil 

Oxalis  sp.  .  .  .  .  . 

Colletia  discolor.  Hook. 
Adesmia  boronoides,  Hook.  fil.  . 


Top  of  mountains. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Low  slopes  and  pampa. 

Slopes  of  mountains. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Swamp. 

High  slopes  and  top  of  mountains. 

Swamp. 

Sheltered  slopes  of  mountains. 

Sheltered  slopes  and  forests. 

North  slope  of  Mount  Frias. 

High  slopes  of  mountains. 

Low  slopes  of  moutains. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Low   slopes  of  mountains,    beach 

lake  and  sheltered  pampa. 
Top  of  hills  among  stones. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

High    slopes   and    top   of    Mount 

PVias. 
Bare  sandy  ground. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Low  sandy  ground. 


"-<•  Owing  to  the  very  short  time  allowed  before  going  to  press  we  are  unable  to 
furnish  a  complete  list.  We  hope,  however,  to  give  in  a  future  number  of  the  Journal 
^f  Botany  a  full  list  with  notes  on  critical  or  otherwise  interesting  species. 


APPENDIX  C 


337 


Astragalus  cf.  alpinus,  L.  .  .  .  High  slopes  of  mountains. 

Lathyrus  nervosus,  Lam.  .  .  Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

„         cf.  pubescens,  Hook.  &  Arn.  Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Vicia,  aff.  bijuga       ....  Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

„      sp.  .....  Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Anarthrophyllum  de.'-ideratum,  Benth.  Top  of  Mount  Frias. 


Potentilla  anserina,  L. 
Geum  magellanicum,  Comm. 
Acaena  adscendens,  Vahl. 

,,       cuneata,  Hook.  &  Arn.  . 

,,       sp.  aff.  nmltifida,  Hook.  fil. 
Saxifraga  Pavonii,  D.  Don. 

Donatia  fascicularis,  Ftrst. 
Escallonia  macrantha,  Hook.  &  Arn. 

„  cf.  alpina,  Toepp. 

Ribes  cuneifolium,  Ruiz  &  I'av. 
Hippuris  vulgaris,  L. 
CEnothera  odorata,  Jacq.    . 
Fuchsia  coccinea,  Ruiz  &  Pav.    . 
Epilobium,  cf.^  densifolium,  Haussk. 

sp.  ... 

Grammatocarpus  \olubilis,  Presl. 
Azorella  trifurcata,  Hook.  fil. 

„        sp.  aff.  bryoides,  Phil.    . 

„         cf.  trifoliolata,  Hook.  fil. 
Mulinum  spinosum,  Pers.  . 

Osmorrhiza  chilensis,  DC 
Bowlesia,  sp.     . 
Sanicula  macrorrhiza,  Colla. 
Oreopolus  glacialis,  Schlecht. 
Galium  Aparine,  L.  . 

sp.         .  .  . 

Valeriana  carnosa,  Sm. 

Boopis  sp.         .  .  .  . 


Nardophyllum  Kingii,  A.  Gray  . 
Chiliotrichum  amelloides,  Cass.  . 
Erigeron  alpinus,  L. 


Swamps  in  open  places  of  forests. 

Slopes  of  Punta  B  mdera. 

By  springs  and  streams. 

Low  sandy  soil. 

Pampa  slopes  and  low  slopes. 

On  rocks,  low  slopes  overhanging 

lake. 
Top  of  mountHJn. 
Low  slopes,  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 
Low  slopes.  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 
Valleys  and  low  hillsides. 
Standing  water. 

Mountain  slope  and  low  slopes. 
Low  slopes  and   Punta  Bandera. 
Bed  of  dried  up  stream. 
Punta  liandera. 

Low  slopes,  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 
Top  of  mountain. 
Mountain  tops. 
Shingle  on  beach. 
Pampa  under  Mount  Buenos  Aires 

and  low  slopes 
Forests  of  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Top  of  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 
Tops  of  mountains. 
Forest,  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 
Mountain    slopes   and    low  slopes, 

shingle  banks  of  stream. 
Low  slopes,  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 
Nitrate  pampa. 
Top    of    mountains    and    shingle 

beach. 
Mountain  tops. 

Springs  in  slopes  of  mountains. 
Low  slopes  of  mountain.s. 


338  THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  PATAGONIA 

Erigeron  sp.     .... 


Baccharis  sp.   .... 
Antennaria  sp.  ... 

Gnaphalium  spicatum,  Lam. 
Madia,  cf.  viscosa,  Cav. 
Matricaria  Chamomilla,  L. 
Senecio  mageilanicus,  Hook.  &  Arn. 

,,        albicaulis,  Hook.  &  Arn. 
,,         Kingii,  Hook.  fil. . 
Chabrasa  purpurea,  DC.    . 

„  multifida,  DC.     . 

sp 

Perezia  linearis.  Less. 


Mount 


Mountain    slopes.   Mount    Buenos 

Aires. 
Beach,  Punta  Bandera. 
Pampas. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Slopes  of  mountains. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Among     stones,     top     of 

l^uenos  Aires. 
Mountain  slopes. 
High  slopes  of  mountains. 
Pampa       and      high      slopes 

mountains. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
East  slope  of  Mount  Frias. 
High  slopes  of  mountains. 


of 


Panargyrum  Darwinii,  Hook.  &  Arn.  .  Tops  of  mountains. 
Nassauvia,  sp.  .... 


>i  pygm^S)  Hook.  fil.    . 

Hieracium  patagonicum,  Hook,  fil 
Achyrophorus  tenuifolius,  DC.    . 
Taraxacum  officinale,  Wigg.,  var. 
Sonchus  asper,  Vill.,  var.    . 
Pernettya  pumila.  Hook.    . 


Tops  of  mountains. 
Beaches  and  mud  flats. 
Top  of  mountains. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Punta  Bandera. 
Mountain  tops. 

mucronata,  Gaud.,  two  forms   Low   slopes    of    mountains,     high 

and   wooded    slopes    of    Mount 
Buenos  Aires. 

Swamp. 

Swamp  on  pampa. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

North  slope  Mount  Frias. 

Low  shingly  ground. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Forest  on  mountain  slope  and  low 
ground. 

High  slopes  of  mountains. 

Low     slopes     of    mountains     and 
banks  of  streams,  low  ground. 

Sheltered  pampa. 

Mount  Buenos  Aires. 

Pampa. 


Primula  magellanica,  Lehm. 
Samolus  spathulatus,  Duby. 
Armeria  chilensis,  Poepp.  . 
Phacelia  circinata,  Jacq.,  two  forms 
Collomia  coccinea,  Lehm. 
„  gracilis,  Dougl.    . 

Amsinckia  angustifolia,  Lehm.    . 

Calceolaria  Darwinii,  Benth. 
„  sp.  aff.  lanceolata 

Veronica  percgrina,  L. 

Verbena  ajf.  microphylla,  Phil.    . 

Micromeria  cfr.  Darwinii,  Benth. 

Scutellaria  nummularia.>folia,  Hook.  fil.     Shingle  beach. 


APPENDIX  C 


339 


Plantago  uniglumis,  Wallr. 

„         maritima,  L. 
Rumex  crispus,  L.     . 

„         magelianicus,  Griseb. 
Embothriunn  coccineum,  Forst. 
Myzodendron  punctulatum,  Soland. 

„  quadriflorum,  DC. 


Stony  top  of  mountains. 
Nitrate  pampa. 
By  water  slopes  of  pampa. 
Shingle  beach. 
Low  slopes  of  mountains. 
Forests  on  mountains  ;  parasitic  on 
Fa  "lis  antarctica. 


.   Forests,  parasitic  on  Fagiis  aiituix- 
tica. 
Arjonapatagonica,Hombr.  &  Jacquem.   Low  slopes  and  pampas. 
Ouinchamalium   procumbens,    Ruiz    & 

'  Pav 

Euphorbia  portuiacoides,  Spreng. 
Urtica  magellanica,  Poir.    . 
Faeus  antarctica,  Forst. 


Empetrum  nigrum  var.  andinum,   DC.   Grassy  top  of  mountain. 


Chlorcta  magellanica,  Hook.  fil. 
Asarca  araucana,  Phil. 

,,      cf.  cardioglossa,  Phil. 
Stipa  sp. 

Phleum  alpinum,  L. . 
Alopecurus  alpinus,  Sm. 
Arundo  pilosa,  D'Urv. 
Poa  pratensis,  L. 
Festuca  sp. 
Bromus  sp. 
Hordeum  jubatum,  L. 
Carex  Banksii,  Boott. 

Sisyrinchiuin  filifolium.  Gaud 
Aspidium  mohrioides,  Jiory. 
coriaceum,     S\v. 

Lomaria  alpina,  Spreng. 
Cystopteris  fragilis,  Bernh. 
Bryum  sp.  (immature) 
Marchantia  polymorphs,  L. 
Usnea  barbata,  Ach. 

„       melaxantha,  Ach.    . 


Pampa. 

Pampa. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Forests  and  mountains. 


Slopes  of  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 

Slopes  of  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 

Slopes  of  Mount  Buenos  Aires. 

Sandy  slopes  of  foothills. 

Mountain   slopes. 

Springs. 

Low  slopes  of  mountains. 

Sheltered  pampa. 

Pampa. 

Pampa. 

Slopes  of  mountains. 

Swampy      springs     in     forest     on 

mountain  slope. 
Pampa. 
Low  slopes. 
Punta    Bandera  ;    mountain  slope  ; 

bush  slope. 
Swamp. 
Forest. 
Wet  forest. 
Forest  swamp. 

Growing  on  Ftii^iis  iintiuctica. 
On  rocks. 


GLOSSARY 


Alazan,  a  chestnut  horse. 

Alpargatas,  shoes   made    of    canvas   with 

jute  or  hemp  soles. 
Asado,  roast  meat.     In  the  camp  cooked 

on  a  spit  over  the  fire. 
A  sudor,  the  spit  on  which  meat  is  roasted. 
Asulejo,  a  blue-eyed,  grey  and  white  horse. 

Bandurria,  an  ibis. 

Barranca,  cliff-Uke banks  of  river  or  lagoon. 
Bayo,  a  cream-coloured  dun  horse. 
Blanco,  white ;  a  white  horse  or  cow. 
Bocado,  a  thong  of  raw  hide  passed  twice 

round  the  lower  jaw  of  a  young  horse 

as  a  bit. 
Bolas,    Boleadores,    three    balls    of    stone 

covered  with    raw  hide  and  attached 

to    one  another  by  twisted  thongs  of 

raw    hide ;     used     for    catching    wild 

animals. 
Bolichf,  a  small  drinking-store. 
Bombilla,  a  metal  tube  for  sucking  the  tea 

from  the  mate  cup. 
Bozal,  a  halter. 

Cabresio,  a  leading  rein  always  attached  to 

the  bozal  for  tying  up  the  horse  ;  from 

the  Spanish  word  cabcstro. 
Cacique,  an  Indian  chief  or  leader. 
Canadon,  a  dale  or  dip  of  low  land  between 

stretches  of  high  land. 
Capa,  a  cape  or  cloak. 
Carancho,   the    large,    eagle-like     carrion 

hawk  {Polyboriis  thariis). 
Carguero,  a  pack-horse  or  mule. 
Carpa,  a   tent,  or  shelter   of  a   movable 

kind. 
Casa,  a  house,  even  if  only  a  mud  hut. 
Cehruiw,   a    dark    mouse-coloured    horse 

with  a  reddish  tinge. 


Chico,  little. 

Chimango,    a    harrier-like    carrion    hawk 

{Milvago  Chimango). 
China,  Indian  woman  ;  also  a  native  Criska 

woman. 
Chiripd,  a  loin-cloth  the  size  of  a  poncho. 

and  worn  so  as  to  form  loose,  baggy 

trousers. 
Cinch,  English  spelling  of  "Cincha."  the 

raw-hide  girth  used  with  native  saddles. 
Colorado,  red  ;  a  bay  horse. 
Cordillera,  the  chain   of  mountains  called 

the  Andes. 
Cruzado,   a   horse    having    crossed   white 

feet — i.e.,  one  fore-foot  white  and  one 

hind-foot    of    opposite   sides ;    always 

expected  to  be  good  horses. 

Estancia,  a  farm  in  Argentina. 
Estanciero,  a  stock-farmer  in  Argentma. 

Gateado,  a  yellow  dun  horse  with  a  black 

stripe  down  the  back. 
Gaucho,  the  Argentine  cowboy. 

Horqueta,  a  fork  ;  the  separation  of  two 
streams  forming  a  fork ;  name  of  a 
horse  with  a  forked  cutting  in  the  ear. 

Macho,  a  male  animal ;  especially  a  mule. 
Madrina,  the  bell-mare  followed  by  all  the 

horses  or  mules  of  a  tropilla. 
Maitada,  a  herd  of  mares. 
Manea,  hobbles  for  a  horse  made  of  raw 

hide  generally. 
Mahcro,a.  cunning,  tricky  horse  or  person. 
Martincia,   the    "  large    partridge "   (Calo- 

dromai  eUgatis). 
Mate,  the  small  gourd  in  which  tin-  Yeihii 

tea  is  made ;  also  the  tea  itself. 


342 


GLOSSARY 


Mora,  a  dark  blue  roan  horse. 

Mula,  female  mule. 

May  liinpio,  literally  "very  clean." 

Osciiro,  a  dark  or  black  horse. 
Overo,  a  spotted  or  splashed  horse. 

Palcnquc,  posts  or  rails  put  up  fortying-up 

horses. 
Pampa,  the  great  plains  of  South  America. 
Pampero,   the   south-west    wind,    often    a 

hurricane  in  South  America,  blowing 

across  the  Pampas. 
Pan^arc,  a  bay  horse,  with  the   peculiar 

mule-like  colouring  of  the  nozzle. 
Pantano,   a   mud    hole ;    a    sticky   muddy 

place. 
Peon,  a  working  man  or  porter. 
Picaso,  a  black  horse  with  white  feet  and 

face. 
Plaza,  open  square  in  a  town. 
Poncho,  the  rug  or  shawl,  wich  a  hole  in 

middle,  to  slip  over  the  head. 
Potro,  a  colt  or  wild  horse. 


Puchero,  mutton  or  beef  boiled  with  rice, 
and  vegetables  when  there  are  any. 

Rincon,  a  corner. 

Rosado,  a  light  strawberry  roan  horse. 

Rosillo,  a  red-roan  horse. 

Soga,  a  cord  or  strip  of  hide. 

Toldo,  an  awning  ;  the  Indian  tent  of  raw 

hides. 
Tordillo,  a  grey  horse. 
Tostado,  a  dark  chestnut  horse. 
Travesia,  a  desert. 
Tropilla,  the   troop   of  horses    or   mules 

driven  in  front  of  travellers  in  South 

America. 

Vaqneano,  a  guide. 
Vega,  a  valley. 

Yerba,  the    Paraguayan   tea,  universal  in 
Argentina. 

Zaino,  a  brown  horse. 


INDEX 


Alazan,  59,  139 
Alpargatas,  231 
Andes,  see  Cordillera 
Antiguos,  Rio  de  los,  144-155 
Arctotherium,  326-327 
Ariel,  5<.v  launch 
Argentino,  Lake,  181,  188,  214 

description,  190,  262,  263,  284 

fish,  269 

forests,  224,  272,  273,  274-276 

glaciers,  266-268,  272-275 

Lake  Rica  or  South  Fjord,  193,  271-74 

North  Fjord,  262-270,  278-279 

storms,  215-219,  267-269 
Armadillo,  40,  67,  24S 
Ascensio's  Bay,  214-215 
Asulejo,  53,  54,  167 

Banduria,  135,  187,  189 

Barckhausen,  F.,  31,  14S-153 

Basecamp,  Horsham,  123,  124,  168 

Beech,  antarctic,  126,  149,  233,  275 

Belgrano,  River,  174 

Bernardo,  sec  Hahansen 

Bernicla    poliocephala,    see    ashy-headed 

goose 
Boat,  canvas,  266,  282 

oleadores,  32,  52,  62,  81,  go,  234 
Brunei,  Ascensio,  194-195 
Buenos  Aires,  Lake,  120,    121,   126,   130- 

Burbury,  T.  R.  D.,  20,  26,  37,  47,  109,  181, 
201,  242,  264,  268,  277 

Califate-bush,  78,  99,  100,   203,  218,  265, 

269 
Calodromas  elegans,  sec  martineta 
Canis  griseus,  see  pain  pa -fox 
Canis  magellanicus,  see  red-fox 
Canis  montanus,  260 


Camera,  266 

Carancho,  igi 

Cat,  wild,  151 

Cattle,  E.,  86,  193,  197,  206-219,  244,  249 

253,  255,  264,  266,  268,  282 
Cattle,  wild,  79-81,  140,  224-234 
Cavy,  27,  46,  60,  67,  248,  257-258 
Chico,  River,  43,  46,  47,  58,  59 
Chimango,  191 

Chloephaga  magellanica,  see  upland  goose 
Christmas  Day,  167-168 
Colohuapi,  61,  63-65,  257 
Colhue,  Lake,  61 
Columba  maculosa,  see  pigeon 
Como  No,  117,  118 
Condor,  45,  147,  161,  164,  1S7,  191 
Conepatus  pategonicus,  see  skunk 
Cordillera,  2,  8,  121,  188,  215,  296 
Corelli,  M.,  266 
Coyly,  River,  76,  289 
Cruzado,  59,  137 

Cygnus  nigricollis,  see  black-headed  swan 
Cypress,  275 

Dafila  spinicorda,  see  brown  pintail 
Darwin,  2,  g,  27,  163,   181,  185,  187,  192, 

252,  255,  257 
Dasypus  minutus,  see  armadillo 
Deseado,  River,  136 
Dogs,  46,  60,  245 

Indian,  92,  11 1,  117-119 
Dolichotis  patagonica,  see  cavy 
Drake,  Francis,  7-8 
Duck,  rosy-billed,  136 

Farina,  269 

Felis  concolor  puma,  see  puma 

Felis  concolor  pearsoni,  155.  253.  334-335 

Felis  onca,  see  jaguar 

Fenix,  River,  127,  133 


344 


INDEX 


Fires,  painpa,  140,  142,  143,  154,  220-222 
FitzRoy,  254 
Flamingo,  136,  1S7,  189 
Forests,  224,  233,  265,  272-276,  296 
Fox,  pampa  or  grey,  26,  120,  231,  245-246, 
258-259 

red  or  Cordillera  wolf,   132,  134,  142, 
244-246,  259-265,  269,  274,  280 

(Canis  montanus),  260 
Fuchsia,  228,  272 

Gallegos,  2,  287,  289-291 

Gateado.  51.  55,  61 

Gaucho,  1,  12,  13,  32,  35-36,  38,  141 

Genguel,  River,  75,  120 

Glaciers,  266-268,  272-275 

Glaucidium  nanum,  see  pigmy  owl 

Gleditzsch,  Fritz,  36-37,  68-69 

Goose,  ashy-headed,  37 

upland,  7^,  76,  79,  107,  123,  136 

Grebe,  126,  209 

Greenshields,  17,  30 

Guanaco, 

description,  27,  31,    Si,  83,   105,   156, 

256 
habitat,  68,  107,  236,  254,  269,  280 
habits,  43,  147.  236-239,  246,  255,  256 
hunting  with  bolas,  105-107 

with  dogs,  106,  169,  237,  257 
with  rifle,  31,  49,  59-60,  138-140 
mortality,  189,  203,  254 
numbers,  27,  169,  189,  231,  254 
skins,  83,  95 

Gun,  shot,  78 

Haematopus     palliatus,      sec     American 

oyster  catcher 
Hahansen,  Bernardo,    183,  205-207,  213, 

217,  264-265,  283,  c86,  291 
Hardy,  Mrs.,  185 
Hawk,  275 

Hell  Gate,  220,  261-263,  277,  278 
Hollesen,  68 
Horqueta,  56 
Horses,  bran  ding,  66 

buying,  22 

cargoing,  50-51,  55-56,  74 

crossing  river,  199,  211 

friendships,  52 

Indian,  1 10 


Horses,  names,  35 

number,  26,  33 

shoeing,  183 

shooting  with,  160 

size,  no 

straying,  37,  39 

taming,  35,  36,  no 
Huemul, 

description,  146,  243,  249-250 

habitat,  128,  248-249,  269,  280 

habits,  163,  240-242,  249-251 

Ibis,  blackfaced,  135 
Icebergs,  267,  270,  274,  279 
Incensio,  90 
Indians,  see  Tehuelches 
Indian  trail,  5,  109,  140,  171 

Jaguar  (felis  onca),  68,  248,  325-326 
Jeinemeni,  River,  159,  161 
Jones,  H.,  23,  76,  77,  139,  158,   166,   178, 
242,  248 

Katarina,  River,  261,  279,  283-285 

La  Cancha,  Laguna,  117 

La  Gaviota,  177,  179 

Lama  huanachus,  see  Guanaco 

Lapwings,  cayenne,  187 

Lasso,  77,  80 

Launch. 

breakdown,  213,  268,  271 

description,  197,  200-201 

passage  of  Leona,  204-212 

North  Fjord,  262-270,  278-280 
South  Fjord,  271-274 
Leiia  dura,  228,  263,  265,  269,  286 
Leona,  River,  198,  201-212 
Lion,  see  puma 

IMadkina,  34 
Magellan,  5,  87 

Mareca  sibilatrix,  see  widgeon 
Martineta.  49 
Mat6,  28,  passim 
Mauser,  49,  151,  157,  164,  233 
Metopiana  peposaca,  see  rosy-billed  duck 
Mirage,  4,  29,  47 

Moreno,  Dr.  F.  P.,  10,  242,  248,  261-262 
301-304 


INDEX 


345 


Moro,  290 

Musters,  Capt.  G.  C,  79,  88,  93,  99,  loi, 

247.  251,  332 
Musters,  Lake,  61 
Mylodon,  antiquity,  312-313,  315,  317-329 

330 
description  of  auditory  ossicles,  321 

brain  cavity,  320 
excrement,  323-324 
skin,  305-309,  322-323 
skull  and  mandible,  317-320 
vertebrse  and  limb-bones,  321 

discovery  of  remains,    302-304,  315- 
316 

identification,  309-315,  324-325 

number,  316 

Tehuelche  Legends,  330-333 

Olin,  River,  172 
Onas, 

hunting,  107 

ill-treatment  of,  109 

physique,  loS 

weapons,  7 

women,  108 
Onohippidium  saldiasi.  327 
Orchids,  276 
Ostrich,  26,  42,  43,  ic6,  231,  239 

eggs,  45,  63,  146,  163 

feathers,  119 

habits,  136,  163,  239 

hunting,  136,.  137 
Otter,  260 
Overo,  41,  52 
Owl,  275 

pigmy,  269 
Oyster-catchers,  117 

Pampas,  i,  2,  4,  29,  30,  192 
Paradox,  233 
Parrot,  275 
Patagonia, 

climate,  5,  294 

exploration,  5,  6-10 

physical  features,  2-4,  13 

settlements,  11,  21-23 
Pearson,  Lake,  283-286,  334-335 
Pearson's  puma,  155,  253 
Phcenicopterus  ignipalliatus,  see  flamingo 
Picnics.  278 


Pigafetta,  6 

Pigeon,  158 

Pintails,  brown,  58,  74-78,  136 

Plover,  cayenne,  27 

Primero  de  Mayo,  15-19 

Puerto  Belgrano,  17 

Puerto  Madryn,  19 

Puma, 

description,  45,  251 

destructiveness,  30,  252 

habitat,  44,  68,  212,  251 

habits,  62,  242-244,  252 

hunting,  62,  251 

number,  251 

size,  251 
Punta  Arenas,  2,  292 

QuERQUEDULA      cyauoptcra,      see      blue- 
winged  teal 
Querquedula  versicolor,  see  grey  teal 

Redwood,  275 
Rhea  Darwini,  see  ostrich 
Rica  Lake,  see  Lake  Argentine 
Roble-wood,  265,  269 
Rosada,  34,  52,  53 

Saxta  Cruz,  178-1S0,  1S2,  192 

Santa  Cruz,  River,  181,  184,  198-199 

Sarcorhamphus  gryphus,  see  condor 

Scorpion,  127 

Scrivenor,  J.  B.,  17,  39,  49,  170,  iSi 

Senguerr,  River,  71,  72 

Sheep  farming,  17,  29,  62,  177,  294-295 

Shoveller,  red,  136 

Skunk,  260 

Snipe,  76,  1S9 

Spatula  platalea,  see  red  shoveller 

Swan,  blacknecked,  78,  136 

Teal,  grey,  61 

blue-winged,  77,  136 
yellow-billed,  i6g 
Tehuelches,  82-115 
cacique,  7,  loi 
ceremonies  at  birth,  96 
at  marriage,  93 
at  burial,  97 
character,  87,  90,  gi,  92,  101-103 
comparison  with  I-^sfjuimaux.  100 


346 


INDEX 


Tehuelches,  comparison  with  Onas,  107- 
108 

dance,  92 

dress,  87,  94 

drink,  88-89,  96,  102,  111-114 

food,  87,  100 

half-bloods,  91,  93,  94 

horses,  99,  106,  no 

huntin.e:,  104-117 

lany;uage,  101 

marriage,  93 

numbers,  88,  loi,  109 

occupation,  88,  94-95 

physiciue,  6,  8,  9,  87-88,  90,  gg,  loi 

religion,  97-99 

skull -deformation,  92 

smoking,  loo-ioi 

superstition,  86,  96-98 

toldos,  82,  83,  85 

weapons,  7,  89-90 

women.  go-g4,  288 
Temperature,  58,  67,  120 
Tent.  127.  173 


Theristicus  caudatus,  see  blackfaced  ibis 

Traders,  111-113,  295 

Trelew,  20-22 

Trelew,  Mrs..  52.  170,  182 

VANELLUscayennensis,s^e  cayenne  plover 
Ventana,  Sierra,  175 
Viedma.  Lake.  g.  197,  203 

Waag,  H.  p..  10,  62.  i:g,  174,  242,  291 

Waggon.  42.  44.  47-49 

Waldron,  11 

Welsh  colonies,  11.  :'i-23 

colonists,  12.  22,  23,  64 
Widgeon,  4g,  58,  61.  133,  136,  269,  282 
Wind,  116,  127 
W'olf,  Cordillera,   132,   134,   142.   244-246 

259-265,  269,  274,  280 
Woodpecker,  red-crested,  279 

Xexelafhus  bisulcus,  see  huemul 

Zaixo,  Little,  160.  167 


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